At The Beginning
by ToryTigress92
Summary: An alien Prince. A fiery mortal astrophysicist. Even as they fight to protect the Nine Realms, could something more bloom from the embers, and will it be enough when an old, dark secret about Loki's origins comes to light? Lokane AU.
1. Prologue: At The Beginning

At The Beginning

Pairing: Loki/Jane, Fandral/Darcy

Warnings: Discussion of physical injuries, dystopia and death.

Chapter Playlist: 'Deep Shadow' by TTL and 'Sons of Odin' from 'Thor'

Disclaimer: I do not own Thor, any Marvel characters or plot devices used herein.

* * *

_We were strangers starting out on our journey_

_Never dreaming what we'd have to go through_

_Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing_

_At the beginning with you_

_N__o one told me I was going to find you_

_Unexpected what you did to my heart_

_When I lost hope you were there to remind me_

_This is the start_

_-__**Donna Lewis and Richard Marx**_

* * *

_He smiled as he stood in the shadows of the pillar, looking out at the sun drenched garden courtyard where three women, and six children, laughed in the golden warmth._

_With a chuckle he watched as one, a tall, dark-haired lad conjured a small, harmless hissing serpent, making the others shriek and flee, even as the two boys in the group doubled over laughing. _

_Like father, like son._

_His eyes raised to the great marble monolith which stood at the opposite end of the gardens, and sighed as a jolt of sadness washed through him. _

_As his eyes fell on the diminutive yet radiant figure of his wife, her hair streaming in the fresh sea breeze, he felt that sadness lift. _

_How long ago it all felt, since their journey started. At the beginning…_

* * *

_Asgard_

The night was peaceful, the stars and nebulas of the skies of Asgard wheeling overhead with little thought to the travails and trials of the mighty people who lived below their eternal light.

The night was deceiving.

The flickering torches threw long, dark shadows bearing long spears in their gauntleted hands, as a figure swathed in emerald green, the light flashing across his gold and silver armour, walked purposefully down the hallway.

He didn't pause before the towering doors which shone with a golden sheen, as they opened soundlessly before him.

Within, he could hear raised voices arguing back and forth, as if trading blows of a more physical kind, as he swept in, his emerald cloak flying behind him.

Inside the great hall, at the far end, sat a wide, golden throne, shining in the cool night, its arms extending outwards like wings about to take flight, or arms held out to embrace.

He had always thought of the royal throne of Asgard as the latter.

But as his gaze fell on the leonine man sitting atop their father's throne, he could not restrain a wry grin.

Somehow he doubted Thor would embrace anyone, any time soon.

The King's expression was murderous, as he sat, wreathed in his shining silver armour and crimson cloak, his winged helmet set to one side, Mjolnir gripped in one paw like hand.

He was flanked by two of the elite Royal Guard, their armour almost outshining their King's, the horns of their gleaming helmets standing proudly aloft.

Beside the King sat his wife and Queen, Sif. Her long raven hair was unbound, tumbling down her shoulders in graceful waves, but her dark eyes were the fell, calculating eyes of the warrior. Her lithe body was clad in the same shining armour as her husband, but a soft crimson robe, sleeveless and embroidered with gold, was draped across her shoulders, its skirts sweeping the floor around her feet.

To the side, he glimpsed the Three, resplendent in their full armour. He exchanged a cordial nod with the Warriors Three, before raising his eyes to the King.

"My King," he bowed his head, one fist held to his chest, over his heart in a gesture of fealty.

The King stood from his throne, a slight smile cracking his brooding exterior, as he laid Mjolnir down on his seat.

"Rise, brother," he commanded. "You know you do not have to bow to me."

Loki smirked, as he straightened, looking his brother in the eye. "You know you love it, brother mine," he teased, as Thor merely chuckled. He couldn't deny it.

It had been a year since Thor took the throne after Odin, their father and King of Asgard, stood down. Just two days after the coronation, Odin had fallen into the Odinsleep, leaving Thor to rule alone.

Well, not entirely alone.

* * *

_Loki looked down on the ailing figure lying in his father's bed. He barely recognised him as the All-Father, the most powerful being in the Nine Realms._

_And his father._

_Muninn and Huginn cawed mournfully from their perches as Loki took his father's hand. On the other side of the bed sat Frigg, her flaxen hair tumbling unbound down her shoulders, dark shadows beneath her still youthful eyes._

"_You know," Odin began weakly, the Odinsleep becoming harder to fight off with each passing moment. "Thor will need you, Loki. Help him to rule well, in my absence."_

"_I will, Father. I swear it," Loki replied, bending down on one knee. Odin smiled slightly, his one good eye lingering on his second son. _

"_Make me proud, my son," he rasped, before his eye closed and his hand slackened in Loki's grip. Loki looked to his mother, before pressing a kiss to his father's hand and laying it reverently by his side on the bearskin covers._

"_Sleep well, father," he murmured, before he turned away and left the chamber behind._

* * *

Loki had every intention of fulfilling his father's request. He knew Thor was not ready to be King; the man's main answer to things which vexed or upset him was to smash it out of existence with Mjolnir. Oh, certainly he was brave and strong, but was that all Asgard required of her King?

Odin must have known it, otherwise he would not have charged Loki to play adviser to his brother, but…why crown him King in the first place, if so?

Odin must have found something lacking in Loki himself, if so. Before the coronation, Loki had considered finding some way to disrupt it, surreptitiously. But he had faith in Thor, and he hoped….oh stars above, he hoped his brother would mature into a wise ruler.

Perhaps he would, with Loki's help.

The memory of Odin's request ran through his mind, as Loki stood before the throne of Asgard, looking up at his brother as he paced the dais.

He knew what troubled his powerful brother. Not a day before, the Asbru Gate was attacked by a combination of Frost Giants and monstrous shape shifters called Skrull, from another Realm.

Heimdall and the warriors of Asgard were able to repel the invaders, but serious questions remained. How did they enter Asgard, undetected, until they commenced their attack on the Asbru Gate?

And if Loki knew his brother, he would want to go charging into Jotunheim, to punish Laufey for this apparent betrayal of the peace treaty between their races.

Loki had no love for the Frost Giants, but he sensed something else, beneath the surface of the attack, something far more troubling. The Frost Giants possessed no power to travel between the Realms without the use of the Casket of Ancient Winters, and _**that**_ remained locked up, deep in the weapons vault below the throne room of Asgard.

So how had they found their way into Asgard?

Not by any technology or method of the Skrulls. No, it had to come from something else. Or someone else.

Loki was one of the few who know of hidden pathways between the Realms, and he knew how to cloak himself from Heimdall's sight. It was not common knowledge and required far greater power than even the average Asgardian sorcerer possessed.

Loki was jolted from his contemplations when Thor turned back to him, almost beseechingly, sending him back to their childhood, when Thor would beg him to aid him whatever nefarious, and parentally unsanctioned, scheme he concocted.

Loki went along with them simply to ensure Thor was still alive by the end of them. He had been his brother's protector far longer, and far more effectively, than many realised.

"Brother, you would agree with me? Wouldn't you?" he asked him, ignoring the exasperated sighs of Sif and the Warriors Three either side of his throne. "We must answer this attack on our sovereignty, and declare war on Jotunheim now!"

Loki inhaled deeply, choosing his words with care. The last thing they needed was war, and the last thing _**he**_ needed was for Thor to have a tantrum.

"I'm afraid, brother mine, that there is something far more worrying about this than the breaking of the truce between Laufey and us," he began. "The Jotunns infiltrated our borders, yes, but they did so in an alliance with the Skrull, _**and**_ with methods of travel we have yet to divine."

"Argh!" Thor growled. "You sound as bad as them."

Loki ignored the impatient gesture to their friends behind him, and dug deep for patience. "Thor, listen to me," he stepped forward, a persuasive tone slipping into his voice. "There is more to this than simply declaring war on Jotunheim, especially as I sense that the source of this attack does not come from there."

Thor turned on him, frowning thunderously. "What do you mean? Of course the Frost Giants came from Jotunheim!"

"But think!" Loki snapped. "The Skrull in league with Jotunheim? Sneaking in under Heimdall's watch? And in such numbers? And note that there were greater numbers of Skrull than there were Jotunns."

Thor's fist clenched and unclenched around the handle of Mjolnir, before he huffed and took his seat.

"So what do you suggest, Loki?" he asked.

"We have met Skrull in battle before, brother," the prince replied. "As well as Jotunns. Today, they fought with a purpose and a discipline which was more akin to being controlled than by doing so of their own free will. And we must not forget the question of how they arrived here, in Asgard. I fear there is another power controlling the Skrull and the Jotunns, and it seeks our demise."

Sif's dark eyes flicked to the prince, and narrowed. "What have you sensed, Loki?" she asked as her gaze pierced him. Loki's eyes flicked to hers, and then back to Thor's, his face unreadable.

"I went down to the Asbru Gate, and consulted with Heimdall. Whatever power controlled the Skrull and the Jotunns, it was shielded from his gaze," he explained. "However, I could sense something of its magical echo, left behind by the creatures it controlled."

"And what did you sense?" Thor asked, more seriously now. He loved to tease his brother about his mastery of magic, but he knew better than to doubt it.

"The power which controls them was stronger than anything I have felt in a long time. It was…dark and malevolent, driven by hatred and rage," Loki breathed, remembering the sickening waves of nausea his magical probing had induced. "It could even have rivalled the All-Father's power."

"Impossible!" Sif breathed, but Thor just shook his head, smiling ruefully.

"Then it was perhaps a good thing this…presence has yet to encounter you, brother," he remarked, one brow raised. Loki eyed him narrowly; unsure if that comment was insult, jest or sincerity. Thor rolled his eyes. "I meant it, brother."

One brow cocked superciliously, Loki continued with his report. "It was a difficult process, but I was able to roughly pinpoint the origin of the power. It appears to have come from Midgard."

Everyone in the room tensed. The golden-haired Fandral the Dashing was the first to speak. "Impossible!" he scoffed. "The last we were there, the Midgardians were throwing sticks and stones at each other. They do not have the ability to wield magic."

"That we know of," Loki interjected coolly. "As much as I doubt the Midgardians have advanced beyond their former primitive state, there is the possibility that a presence from another Realm is merely using it as their base of operations to strike out at Asgard!"

"We would be less likely to suspect Midgard, for the very reasons Loki just gave," Hogun unexpectedly agreed with Loki, earning himself a surprised glance from the second born Prince.

"Then we must go to Midgard," Thor stood from his throne, hefting Mjolnir. Loki sighed and folded his arms. Thor faltered.

"Brother, you are the King of Asgard now," Loki began, diplomatically. "Your place is here, in defence of your kingdom, not gallivanting off all over the Nine Realms."

"You forget your place, brother," Thor snarled menacingly, but Loki was unmoved. _**This**_ was exactly why Thor was not ready to be King. He was too battle hungry, too needy for death and glory.

To Loki's surprise, Sif waded in to the argument on his side. "You must not go, Thor. Loki is right, for once," she told him gently, but firmly. "Mjolnir will be needed here should any more Skrull or Jotunn forces attempt an attack."

"What is more, I fear there must be a traitor on Asgard," Loki continued. The assembled warriors shifted uneasily, silenced by Loki's blunt words.

"How do you figure that?" Volstagg asked, shocked.

"The attack on the Asbru Gate, the magic which shielded the Skrull and the Jotunns from Heimdall's sight, even whatever method they used to transport themselves here," he explained. "All point to knowledge which could only have been gained here, at one time or another."

Thor sank back into his throne, his brow furrowed. When he met Loki's gaze, his eyes were mulish but resigned.

"Very well," he sighed. "If I must stay behind to find this traitor and defend Asgard, then I will send another in my place, to Midgard."

He paused, as everyone waited for the identity of his emissary.

"I must send someone I trust," he replied, his eyes rising first to Loki, then to the Warriors Three behind him. "Someone who is skilled in the arts of detection and magic."

Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes and snap at his brother to get on with it. He knew what was coming.

Thor's sapphire blue eyes twinkled when they met Loki's darkling emerald green ones, as if sensing his brother's impatience.

"I appoint my brother, Prince Loki the Cunning, to go to Midgard on behalf of myself, the All-Father and all of Asgard," Thor's voice suddenly thundered across the throne room, as he stood and stared down at his brother. "I bid you, brother, find this creature that wrongfully attacks our borders, and destroy them. Take what warriors you require, and good luck."

Loki bowed, before meeting Thor's gaze once more. "I will not fail you, brother."

Thor grinned. "I know."

* * *

They were to leave the following morning. Loki selected Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun to accompany him, as well as a squad of the Royal Guard, all trained and seasoned warriors.

He did not know what awaited them on Midgard, but Heimdall could see nothing amiss. It appeared Midgard had advanced somewhat, from his last visit some centuries before, when he was but a young man, come of age and tagging along with Thor to make sure he didn't end up killing himself.

All was set, but Loki had one last visit to make before he left Asgard.

* * *

Odin's chambers were dark and silent when he entered, the lights dimmed, the shadows deep but for the golden haze of Sleep which draped his father's body. Loki ascended the steps beside the massive bed, and knelt beside it, taking Odin's hand.

He sighed, and lowered his head. This whole situation worried him, and he did not like the thought of leaving Thor unprotected magically. If someone possessed the power to hide an entire legion of Skrull and Jotunns, then that same someone could sneak an assassin past Heimdall's guard.

And Thor was no sorcerer. He was matchless with any weapon, but if faced with a purely magical attack…his only hope would be to fell any attacker, with magical talent, with Mjolnir.

Loki's eyes drifted over the peaceful, serene face of the All-Father. His snowy white hair was spread over the pillows, startlingly pale against the dark richness of his bear fur covers. His hand felt stronger beneath Loki's own, and he hoped that meant his strength was returning. If all went badly, they would have need of the All-Father.

A gentle movement behind him made him raise his head, and he looked over his shoulder to find Frigg watching him, with a soft smile on her lips. Wordlessly, she came to his side, and placed a kiss on his dark waves of hair.

"Be safe, Loki," she whispered. "And return to your home soon."

Loki did not speak, but stood, towering over her as he had for centuries. She smiled ruefully. "When did my baby grow to be a man?" she asked, stroking a stray wisp of hair behind his ear. Loki chuckled, shaking his head wryly before embracing Frigg tightly.

He left without a word.

* * *

Outside, his men awaited him, mounted on their steeds, his own waiting impatiently for him.

Loki's emerald cloak swirled behind him majestically, as a servant stepped forward to present his helmet, gleaming in the early sunlight of the morning, the stars of Asgard wheeling overhead in their eternal dance.

As he slid his helmet onto his crown, he felt a gentle, calloused hand on his shoulder, bidding him turn. He did so, meeting the gazes of Thor and Sif.

The Queen stepped forward first, armour jingling and her robe rustling with the movement, reaching up to press a kiss to her brother-in-law's brow where it was exposed by the helmet. "Be safe, and may success speed your return," she told him, as he smiled gently in return.

"When have I ever let you down, sister?" he asked. "Besides, I have Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun to protect me. What could possibly go awry?" he added jokingly, prompting a laugh from Sif, as she shook her head ruefully and took her place beside Thor once more.

Levity passed as Thor stepped forward to clasp his brother's arm, Loki doing the same tightly. Their eyes met, thought passed between them, and they both grinned identical smiles of camaraderie, although Thor's was tinged with resignation.

"Go, my brother," he told Loki. "Try not to get yourself killed."

"I could say the same of you, brother of mine," Loki retorted. "I'll try not to take all the glory."

"You do that," Thor returned jovially. "Just because some of us have to act like adults now…"

Loki shook his head. "You, an adult? That will be the day," he grinned, before turning away to mount his horse, taking the reins and settling the fractious beast with ease. Thor came to his stirrup, and touched his knee, prompting Loki to glance down to his brother questioningly.

"Good luck, Loki," he told him. "And…make sure you come back. Alive."

"Oh, yes, because I'd hate to come back in a casket," Loki rolled his eyes, but his brother's words, and the concern in his blue eyes, stung his heart.

"Loki," Thor muttered warningly. "I mean it. Come home victorious. I would not wish to lose my brother."

"Nor I," he replied firmly. "Take care of yourself, my King."

And with that, he wheeled his horse and spurred it on, leading his men out of the palace courtyard, and out into the streets of Asgard City, feeling the unyielding gaze of Thor on his back as they galloped through the city, along the Bridge and to the Observatory.

* * *

_The deserts of New Mexico, Midgard_

Jane Foster blinked tired eyes, as she stared lethargically at the computer screens in front of her.

One hand rose to pull itself through her shoulder length hair, the long strands going taut between her fingers, making her wince as she felt the distinct _throb_ of a headache starting.

Great, all she needed, and it wasn't like they had a never ending supply of aspirin.

The lab where she was sat, staring at nothing in particular, was silent except for the rhythmic _hum_ of the iridescent cubic object nestled on a worktop, surrounded by wires and scanners and all manner of scientific equipment.

The night was particularly slow, as Jane raised herself up and onto her elbow, staring hard at the Cube as if she could get it to release its secrets by glaring.

It was a vain hope.

But it was the only one they, the human race, possessed.

"Hey," a familiar voice called, and Jane straightened, wincing at the _crack_ of her spine as it forced out the kinks. Darcy stood behind her, bearing a white ceramic mug and a plastic jug. "Fresh coffee for the workaholic."

"I am not a workaholic," Jane protested feebly, eagerly reaching for the coffee even as Darcy rolled her eyes.

"Sure you're not," she muttered. "That's why you're the only person awake in the base who doesn't _**have**_ to be."

Darcy had a point. Jane often spent hours working, long after others had retired and her only company was the night shift of guards in the SHIELD base.

"Couldn't sleep if I tried," Jane replied, eyes closing dreamily as the bitter liquid spilled over her tongue. "Besides you're a fine one to talk."

"Oh no, I just stopped by to tell you that Stark's come up with a new scanner to test out on the Cube over there," Darcy pointed to the irritatingly unresponsive object, inching closer curiously.

The Cube had been retrieved from the Nazis during the Second World War some decades before, by Howard Stark, and SHIELD had studied it ever since. Jane, her mentor Erik Selvig, and former intern Darcy Lewis, had been just three of many to study it over the years. Jane had been recommended to Stark by Erik, who then recommended her to SHIELD's Director, Nick Fury.

But for all Jane's ingenuity, the Cube still remained unresponsive.

Now it was their only hope in this war. A war for the planet.

It had been six months since they had been forced underground by the invasion. Strange reptilian aliens with the ability to shape shift and legions of towering, blue-skinned giants who could seemingly conjure ice into their hands, had overrun the planet, and not even the Avengers, the best of Stark Industries, the bravery of thousands of men and women, could stop them.

But not all was lost.

The Avengers, a group of elite heroes from across the globe, remained free and they helped save those they could, packing them into underground bases which had been designed as nuclear bunkers during the Cold War.

New Mexico was one such bunker, and it was the most secretive, not just because of the Cube, but because it was one of the few locations on Earth that their enemies had limitations, namely the blue aliens.

Or freaky Big Blue guys, as Stark preferred to call them.

It seemed they preferred colder climes, and so SHIELD rarely saw their kind in the southern hemisphere. It was the reptilian aliens that were their biggest worry in the South.

Jane had only heard stories, but it was estimated that most of Europe and Asia was either enslaved or dead, although a few SHIELD bases operated in the beleaguered countries there, to act as shelters and bases for operations.

Africa, Latin America and Australia were the luckiest. They still held their own, just.

But as of a year before, the USA had all but ceased to exist.

If they ever won this war, someone would have a hell of a clean up job.

Feeling even more depressed, Jane slumped back against the worktop again, closing her eyes.

Then a strange _**whirring**_ sound filled the air, and Jane heard Darcy's yelp of surprise.

Her eyes snapped open.

"I didn't do anything!" Darcy babbled, holding her hands and backing away from the Cube as if it might bite her. Jane realised that the _**whirring**_ noise was coming from the Cube…

It had awoken.

Just then a _bleeping_ noise emanated from one of her laptops, and she dashed across to see a large atmospheric disturbance building in the air a few miles away, on the surface.

It wasn't one of the alien ships. It looked like a tornado, but the energy readings…

Jane's eyes widened. She reached for the ear piece that sat beside her laptop. Then she saw the three red dots that appeared and began to move across the screen towards the disturbance.

Something was out there, and the invaders were on their way to intercept it.

"Control?" she spoke quickly into the comms device. "Control, the Cube has woken up."

A familiar, purring voice came over the airwaves. "We read you, Lab. What's your status?"

Natasha Romanov. Jane sighed. "The Cube is active. I repeat, the Cube is active and there is an atmospheric disturbance occurring exactly three miles south of our position. Three bogies are moving to intercept."

Romanov cursed in Russian under her breath, as Jane winced. She was going military. _Bogies_? Really?

"Understood. I will inform Director Fury. Control out."

Jane tapped the earpiece, shutting it off and approaching the Cube. Her eyes slid to the monitors, all going haywire, and then to the twister-like images on her laptop, growing in power and intensity with every minute.

Was this coincidence? She doubted it.

Suddenly the door to the lab opened with a _swish_, making both Darcy and Jane jump as they spun around, Jane's hand going instinctively now to the sidearm that rested on her hip ever since SHIELD had hired her on, a year before.

It was just Romanov and the Director Fury, the former's short red curls bouncing with her liquid, smooth stride. The Director's one good eye raked Jane's face before turning to the Cube.

A grim smile stretched his lips. "Saddle up, Miss Foster. You're coming with us."


	2. To Save A Life

At The Beginning

Warnings: Violence, description of physical injury.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'Mercy in Darkness' by Two Steps From Hell, 'Frost Giant Battle' from 'Thor: The Original Soundtrack' and 'Unstoppable' by E.S Posthumous.

* * *

_As days go by,_

_The night's on fire._

_Tell me would you kill to save a life?_

_Tell me would you kill to prove you're right?_

_Crash, crash_

_Burn, let it all burn,_

_This hurricane's chasing us all underground._

_**Hurricane 2.0 - 30 Seconds To Mars**_

* * *

_The deserts of New Mexico, 3 miles south of the ruined town of Puente Antiguo, New Mexico_

Loki blinked as dust and clouds swirled around him, the solid impact of the earth beneath him reverberating up his tall frame.

"I hate travelling by Bifrost," he heard Fandral moan, as he glimpsed the golden-haired warrior hastily combing his perfect hair back into place. Loki rolled his eyes at his old friend's vanity, as the dust cleared, and he could see the landscape in front of them.

It was more desolate than he remembered. The air was close, dry yet a chill wind blew from the north, sneaking its icy tendrils through Loki's cloak and armour.

The land was a rocky, dusty arid desert, flat all around for miles, the occasional tor breaching the earth and reaching desperate stony fingers to the sky. Unfamiliar constellations glittered in the velvety darkness above their heads, and the Midgardian moon hung, like a burnished silver shield, in the sky.

There was no sign of habitation.

"Well," Volstagg huffed. "I guess there's no chance of luncheon then!"

Loki sighed through gritted teeth. "Must you always think with your stomach, Volstagg?" he enquired wearily, turning to face his warriors. The moonlight reflected off the planes of his helmet.

"It's a cheery spot to be sure," Fandral grinned, as he pulled his navy cloak closer around him. He turned to Loki. "What is our next move?"

"Well, wait a moment and I'll tell you," he replied tersely, eliciting an impatient roll of the eyes from Fandral, while the others shifted uneasily, their hands on their weapons.

Loki closed his eyes, and looked within, searching for the tendrils of his magic where they extended from the core of his power. He grasped them, then spread them out around him, searching for that dark, malevolent presence he had felt in Asgard.

He inhaled tightly. It was everywhere, but weaker here than at the Asbru Gate. Its echoes were…older, fading away with time and the winds of this desolate space. The true source was farther away, much farther away than he'd expected. Heimdall had landed them some thousands of miles away from the source of the power which had attacked Asgard. It was like a looming shadow, dark, elusive, twisting and morphing in and out of form, too quickly for Loki to identify it. But some of it possessed a distinctly Asgardian tang to it but twisted, riddled with hatred, like the taste of burned metal in his mouth. The rest…was unlike Loki had ever felt before.

A new element entered the mix, and he frowned as his magically enhanced senses felt the coming of several metallic vehicles, containing several mortals each. He frowned when he felt one in particular, female, her mind curiously tantalising as he turned to the north.

A cool smile lit his features. "It appears we have company," he told the others, as they turned with him.

"The natives?" Volstagg scoffed. "Just summon a little smoke and fire, Loki, and they'll be no problem. And they might have food."

Loki sighed. "Somehow I doubt that will work anymore, Volstagg. These mortals are not so primitive that they would see a display of magic as the coming of a God, but as a potential threat. I sense weapons in those…vehicles. Be ready, should they be hostile."

His brow furrowed as a sense of uneasiness stole over him, as he recalled that oddly curious mind his magic had sensed, hidden in one of the approaching vehicles, strong lights mounted on their frames almost blinding the troop of Aesir.

And something else. There was something else…

Loki did not have any more time to think on it, as the vehicles rolled to a stop, and several dozen people slipped from the darkened innards of the strange contraptions. They were mostly clad in black, long, black weapons in their hands which Loki sensed were some kind of firearm. Their leader was clearly the tall, dark-skinned man in leather, one eye shrouded by a black patch, like the All Father.

He was flanked by several odd persons. One was a beautiful, fiery-haired young woman, with seductive curves clad in clinging black leather.

That would keep Fandral busy, no doubt.

Another was the completely ordinary young woman who stood on the man with the eye patch's other side, an odd _bleeping_ device in her hand. She was dressed in tight blue trousers of some material Loki had never seen before, and a loose jacket of some kind of leather. He noticed a smaller version of the weapons the others carried was resting in a holster at her hip.

Long dark hair fell past her face, which was elfin and delicate in its beauty. Curious, defiant amber eyes met his own, and he felt a jolt rush through him as he met her gaze. This was the source of that mind which had nearly pulled his own in…

He wrenched his gaze away, to the others. One was clad in red, blue and white, and he held a circular shield, painted with stars and stripes in the same shades as his bodysuit.

Another was clad in the same black leather as his companions, but he held a bow in his strong hand, an arrow fitted to the string, eying the Aesir cautiously.

The others were clearly soldiers of some kind, and they surrounded the Aesir quickly, weapons held at the ready. Loki eyed them narrowly.

The mortal with the eye patch stepped forward, Loki recognising a cool reserve similar to his own. This man was one not to be dismissed lightly.

Loki decided to speak first. He had no desire to get into a fight with these men. He had a task to fulfil.

"Hail, Midgardian," he called, stepping forward, his hands open and spread to show he meant no harm and carried no weapon. The mortal paused, frowning.

"We picked up an atmospheric anomaly some moments ago, on our scanners. Was that you?" he asked. One brow rose, as Loki eyed him consideringly.

"It appears so. We come from Asgard, to Midgard, in peace and on a quest of some delicacy," he replied courteously enough. He noticed the sudden, impatient movement of the woman he had sensed before, and frowned. "We came by way of Bifrost."

The mortal with the eye patch frowned back. "You mean to tell me you came from another world?"

"Another Realm. Surely humanity has not forgotten Asgard?" Loki gestured impatiently. How much harder was his task to be if the mortals had forgotten them.

"We don't have much time for myths and legends anymore, stranger," the mortal replied. "And neither do I believe you. Who are you and why have you come?"

Loki bristled at his dismissive tone and demands. "Take care, mortal," he growled. "We are warriors of Asgard; we do not take such impertinent demands with ease."

The woman burst forward, and he glimpsed a twinkle of excitement in her amber eyes. "You mean to say you're people from another world, another…Realm?" she asked him, while the mortal with the eye patch sighed exasperatedly.

"Yes, mortal-" Loki began.

"Miss Foster," the mortal sighed, while the woman just waved him away.

"I have been theorising about this for years, Fury!" she hissed. "It's possible that the Bifrost he mentioned was an Einstein-Rosen Bridge."

"Who is this woman?" Loki asked wearily. The woman's eyes sparked with temper, and he inwardly chuckled to himself. The mortal with the eye patch sighed, sounding as equally weary as Loki himself.

"Miss Jane Foster, one of our leading scientists. She was the first to theorise about interstellar travel in a way similar to the one you spoke of," he explained. The woman held out her hand, and Loki stared at it.

"Is there any particular reason you're holding out your hand towards me, Lady Foster?" he asked curiously. He felt his men shift behind him, but ignored them for the moment.

"It's called a handshake," she replied slowly, as if he was being dim-witted. "It's what people do when they meet each other for the first time."

Loki merely cocked an imperious brow, noting that spark of temper in her eye once again.

"And why should I do such a thing?" he asked. Jane stared at him.

"Because it's _**polite**_," she stated, again as if he was being stupid. He almost wanted to laugh.

Without another word, he ensnared her hand, reversing it and holding her fingers in his own. They felt fragile, gentle but he felt his fingers rub against blisters and calluses. Clearly this woman worked with her hands.

"Forgive my poor manners, Lady Foster," he replied teasingly, as her eyes narrowed. He pressed a slight kiss to her knuckles, and felt her hand tense in his even as a jolt of sensation ran through him at the touch and taste of her skin. "I am Loki, Prince of Asgard and appointed representative of King Thor."

"You have to be joking," she gasped, pulling back. Her eyes raked over his form, as did the other mortals'. The red-head, stepped towards her leader, eyes fixed on a point in the sky.

"Sir, we should go," she murmured, her voice deeper than Jane's and inherently seductive. It did not affect Loki.

"We can discuss your presence on this planet later, Prince Loki, if you don't mind," the mortal with the eye patch murmured. "We have an enemy ship bearing down on our position as we speak."

"Enemy?" Fandral exclaimed. "What enemy?"

The mortal with the eye patch opened his mouth to answer, but then Loki felt the shiver of magic, and suddenly they were surrounded by reptilian creatures bearing wickedly sharp staffs, and hissing excitedly.

Skrulls.

To the mortals' credit, they did not flinch or attempt to flee. Immediately weapons were cocked and the mortal warriors flung themselves into action.

Loki and his men were not far behind.

He just glimpsed the woman, Jane, pull her weapon from its holster and start firing, the movement jerky and unpractised. Concern roiled through him for a moment, but then his attention was diverted as a Skrull hissed and threw itself into his path.

Loki smiled.

It passed through him, and he appeared behind it, summoning a great wave of air and sending it roaring towards the Skrull, crushing it like a fly. His cloak flapped in the sudden breeze, as the sounds of battle filled the air.

He saw the red, blue and white warrior using his shield like a discus, managing to knock down three Skrull before catching it again, while the mortal with a bow shot with unerring aim.

The red-haired woman was a sight to behold, her blows deadly and precise, her weapons moving gracefully through the air as she fired shot after shot, ducking beneath staffs and reptilian fists alike.

Abruptly, the Skrull chattered and then morphed, their features melting like wax until suddenly, there appeared replicas of the mortals and the Aesir alike.

The mortals paused, before continuing the fight. Clearly they had seen this before.

Loki smiled as an Aesir warrior tried to rush him with his sword. He raised his arms, spreading them wide and flicked his hands to the air.

A great concussive wave shoved all to the ground, mortal, Aesir and Skrull alike, and as the wave of air rushed over them, the Skrull morphed back into their original bodies, with hisses of rage.

His smile deepened. That was why the Skrull had been defeated in their war with Asgard eons before. Once their shape shifting abilities were taken from them, all they could do was rely on their numbers to win a fight.

He heard a _screech_ and whirled to find another Skrull attacking him. He ducked back under its swing, feeling the staff's blade pass over his face, and then kicked out with his boot at the Skrull's knee joint. It fell with a cry, and Loki conjured a blade into his hand, spinning and driving it deep into the alien's throat before shoving it away disgustedly.

He glimpsed Volstagg and Hogun wielding their weapons with aplomb, Volstagg laughing as he enjoyed himself.

"Volstagg!" he called over. The giant turned his head, eyes twinkling. "Try not to get blood everywhere, otherwise your wife will have my head."

Volstagg looked down at his bloodied armour, and just grinned. Loki smirked back, then turned to engage his enemy once more.

Then he heard Fandral's warning shout. "My Prince, look out!"

And felt something collide with his side as he was knocked to the ground.

* * *

Jane panted for breath from her place by one of the SUVs. She slid another magazine in place, and cocked the gun, feeling it _whirr_ in response.

The gun was one of Stark's inventions, essentially a more diminutive version of the energy weapons he used in his suit, except on a smaller scale. It could crush armour and bone, and Jane didn't feel any compulsion to show mercy to the reptilian aliens as they hissed and chattered at her.

Revulsion made her lip curl, as she took aim and pulled the trigger, but her aim was slightly off. She was no soldier, and her defence training was minimal.

She glimpsed one of the golden-haired Asgardian warriors turn from his kill, and his eyes widened.

"My Prince, look out!"

She followed his gaze to the tall, imposing figure of the Prince, his emerald cape flying as he fought.

And she saw the Skrull aiming some kind of cannon at him from behind. Clearly, they saw him as the biggest threat since he had used…_something_ to force the aliens to shift back into their reptile forms. She hated it when they shifted to look human, it made them much harder to kill.

She didn't think. She moved.

She threw herself across the desert floor to the Prince's side, barrelling into him as a blast of raw energy scraped across her side, burning through her jacket and blouse, as she landed in the dust.

She felt herself rolled over, as she struggled to breathe through the burning pain. She distantly heard a roar, a very human sounding roar of anger, and then a _screech_ as something exploded.

She had an idea what had just exploded.

Suddenly Fury was there, and Steve Rogers as he shielded them from attack.

"Miss Foster," Fury breathed. "Where are you injured?"

Jane couldn't breathe, let alone speak. She flinched and cried out as pain blotted out her senses. Natasha came to her side, stroking her hair back and taking her hand.

"Jane, you've been burned on your left side," she told her gently, if in her usual blunt way. She turned to Fury, as Jane's hand tightened in Romanov's. "It's gone right through. Her ribs and kidney is showing."

Gradually she was aware of a new voice filtering through the pain, sounding angry and tense.

"Let me through, mortal!" it snapped commandingly. She felt cold hands slide over her burned side, and she flinched and tried to move away from the probing hands. "Hold still!" it snapped again. "I can heal this, but she must remain still. Unless she would prefer her liver to swap to the other side of her body!"

She felt strong hands hold her down, Clint's she guessed, and then cried out as rushing, blinding pain spread across her side, following by a scorching warmth as if she was being literally melted back together.

The pain stopped as quickly as it started, and she shuddered, her body losing its tension, as her consciousness fluttered. She was dimly aware of a hand stroking her hair, and then someone's voice speaking in her ear.

The Prince's voice.

"Rest, Lady Foster. You will live to fight another day."

She slipped gladly into oblivion, as she was lifted into the air, cradled in hard armour and leather.


	3. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

At The Beginning

Warnings: Description of injury. Some violence and death.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'The Princess Pleads for Wallace's Life' from 'Braveheart', 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' and 'What Doesn't Kill You' by Kelly Clarkson, 'Aslan Appears' from 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader', 'Lily's Theme' from 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' and 'Freedom Fighters' by Two Steps From Hell.

* * *

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,_

_Stand a little taller._

_Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone,_

_What doesn't kill you makes a fighter._

_Footsteps even lighter,_

_Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone,_

_What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger.__**'What Doesn't Kill You' - Kelly Clarkson**_

* * *

_New Mexico, Midgard._

All around them lay the smoking and disintegrated corpses of the Skrull, as Loki stood from his position bent over the mortal, Jane Foster.

Her healing had left him drained, and he actually felt some effort lifting her into his arms.

The mortal with the eye patch looked to the sky grimly. "We should get out of here. Come on!" he barked, leading the way to the vehicles. He glanced back at the hesitant Aesir, as his men loaded quickly into the back of the black contraptions. "Unless you've got a better idea, _Prince_?"

Loki bristled at the disbelief in the mortal's tone, but merely inclined his head coldly, spearing the red, white and blue suited mortal with a glare when he moved to take the woman from him.

He swept past the mortal dismissively, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg following in his wake, the others divided up between the other vehicles.

Inside, it was cramped and uncomfortable, as Loki was forced to remove his horned helmet, storing it in the ether until it was needed.

The red-haired woman climbed into the back with them, still hovering over the woman in Loki's arms as she slept on. She was almost clinging to him, in her sleep, and he frowned.

Why had she saved him, almost at the cost of her own life? And even more importantly, why had he healed her?

She was a mortal, puny, insignificant. She meant nothing to him.

Yet…

The red-haired mortal's hand spread over the woman's previously burned left side, obviously feeling for more injuries. Loki glared at her.

"I healed her, mortal. There is nothing left to find," he growled, as she glanced up at him coolly.

"Just checking," she replied, before turning away and reaching for a grey box, pulling it towards her as the vehicle rolled over rocks and sand dunes. Loki had the vague impression that they were travelling north.

She pulled out a long tube, tapering to a fine point. Loki didn't know why, but looking at it made him wince.

"What is that?" he demanded, conscious of Fandral's, Hogun's and Volstagg's gazes. She glanced at him, as she depressed one end of the tube, a little clear liquid squirting from the end.

"It's called a hypodermic syringe," she replied. "I'm just going to give her an antibiotic shot, to take care of any infection."

"I told you, mortal, I healed her," Loki repeated through gritted teeth. She looked completely unfazed by his glower, and simply shrugged her shoulders.

"I know, I was there. This is just to make sure. Better safe than sorry," she replied placatingly, before plunging the needle into Jane's arm and depressing the tube's end entirely. He felt Jane wince in her sleep, and then relax, not taking his eyes off of the redhead until she backed off without another word.

"My prince, what are we doing?" Hogun asked, in a harsh whisper.

"I think that not all is as it seems in this Realm," Loki replied. "These mortals may give us answers."

"But where are they taking us?" Fandral wondered.

"And how will we escape if they are hostile?" Volstagg added. "They have warriors and weapons unlike our own."

Loki followed his gaze to the red-haired woman, the suited man and the man who had wielded the bow. Indeed, these mortals possessed technologies and weapons far more advanced than he had anticipated.

But he had not seen them use magic, nor sensed its potential within any one of them.

Except for…the woman who lay in his arms. He stared down at the burned, ruined edge of her jacket and blouse, her now unblemished skin gleaming in the moonlight making it through the tinted windows.

He glimpsed another scar, running across her abdomen and frowned. Clearly this woman had seen battle more than once. He recognised a blow from a Skrull pikestaff all too well from the last war.

"By the way, if you had just asked," the mortal with the eye patch called over his shoulder, from his seat at the front of the vehicle. The four Aesir tensed and looked to him questioningly. "We are taking you to our base nearby. It's underground, safe from the aliens' weapons. And as long as you are no threat to us, we won't harm you."

Loki heard the unvoiced threat. If they _**were**_ a threat, however…

His eyes narrowed, but he remained silent. His magic was one ace up their sleeve, and few could stand before the Warriors Three. Not even the red-haired woman or the blue suited man.

But he sensed something was still amiss, and perhaps these mortals might have answers. Clearly all was not well if Skrull were attacking them, and these mortals appeared to be fighting against them, not with them.

* * *

Suddenly the vehicle jolted to a halt, and the Aesir glanced at one another nervously. The mortal with the eye patch chuckled.

"Hold on," he told them, and then the entire vehicle shuddered. Loki glanced out of the window and saw the ground slowly rise up around them, and they descended into darkness.

Some kind of platform, he guessed.

His grip unknowingly tightened on the woman, as a mechanical _**whirring**_ filled his ears, and then a bright light blinded him. He brought his arm up to shield his eyes, blinking away the dark spots as he realised they had stopped descending.

The mortals pushed the doors open and left the vehicle, the Aesir following in their wake, Loki still carrying Jane protectively.

They emerged into a vast, cavernous hangar, crowded with similar vehicles to the ones they had just got out, and strange, grey, metal machines which looked similar to Skrull fighters, except they were all sharp angles and gleaming metal.

Immediately, a group of men and women hurried across to them, two bearing a stretcher between them. The mortal with the eye patch gestured to Loki, and he reluctantly gave up his charge to them, laying her gently on the flimsy looking structure, and watching her as she was borne away.

He looked back to the man with the eye patch, who smiled grimly. "Welcome to SHIELD."

They adjourned from the main hangar to a large conference room, where a visual display showed a map of the Earth, various areas highlighted in red, and SHIELD operatives stood at various screens, alert eyes monitoring them ceaselessly.

The man with the eye patch finally introduced himself as Nick Fury, the Director of SHIELD, told Loki that his men could eat and rest, if they wished.

He sent the majority of the men off, but kept Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg with him, as he followed Fury to the conference room. He noticed that the red-haired woman, Natasha Romanov, and the two warriors stayed with Fury, their eyes focussed on the four Aesir intently, as if waiting for them to make an aggressive move.

"Now," Fury turned around. "I have some questions for you, and I'm sure you have questions for me."

Loki inclined his head but did not speak.

"Who are you, where have you come from and why have you come?" he asked in quick succession. Loki held back a chuckle; the mortal was direct, he gave him that.

"As I have already said, I am Loki, Prince of Asgard and these are my companions-in-arms, Fandral the Dashing, Hogun the Grim and Volstagg the Valiant. We come from Asgard on a mission to discover the identity of one who attempted to attack us not long ago," Loki explained cautiously.

Fury chuckled. "You expect us to believe you are Loki, Norse God of Mischief and Lies?"

"I believe the primitive cultures on Midgard at the time named me as such," Loki replied coolly. "I am simply the truth behind the myth."

Fury's smile faded slightly. "If you had told me that on any other day, I'd have thought you were crazy," he admitted. "But I saw how you fought the aliens, and how you healed Miss Foster."

"Skrull," Fandral interjected. Fury looked at him questioningly. "We call those…aliens…Skrull."

"You have previous experience of them," a new voice said, and the four Aesir turned to see a young woman, dark-haired and olive-skinned, enter the room, clad in the same functional leather garments as Fury and Romanov. She nodded to them politely as Fury gestured to her.

"Maria Hill, my right-hand," he explained.

"I just came in, Sir, to report that Stark is on his way back to base," she told Fury shortly, before backing out of the room again.

Fury looked back to Loki expectantly, and he remembered Hill's comment.

"We have fought them before," he explained. "They inhabit a Realm not far from Asgard, and we have subdued their armies a number of times over millenia. When did they come to Midgard?"

"About a year ago," Fury replied. "They came without warning…they just appeared, all over the world at once." he pointed to the red areas of the map below him. "These red areas represent how much of the Earth has fallen under enemy control."

Loki's eyes widened. About two thirds of Midgard was covered in red.

"When the…Skrull came, they didn't come alone," Romanov took over the narrative. "They were helped by blue-skinned giants, with red eyes, who could conjure ice out of thin air and use it as weapons."

"Frost Giants," Fandral interjected. "We call them Frost Giants, or Jotunns. They come from a Realm called Jotunheim. The Aesir fought them back long ago."

"Well, it appears you didn't finish them off," Fury replied coolly. "Because they're here, now. The Frost Giants tend to stick to the northern hemisphere," he gestured to the areas on the map. "We guess they don't like the warmer climate down in the southern hemisphere, which is where we are, so we tend to just get the Skrull." he pointed out New Mexico to them, an area only partially covered in red. "We have bases of operations scattered across the globe, helping who we can and destroying what we can."

"Do you have any idea who controls them?" Loki asked. "Who their leader is?"

This time, it was the two warriors who answered. "We've met them a few times, but we've never exactly exchanged introductions. Too busy trying to blow them up," the blue-suited man explained. Loki chuckled.

"They're female, I can tell you that much," the other added. "And they had…powers like yours."

Loki froze, eying the man piercingly. "And you can't describe them to me? Not at all?" he asked.

The mortal shook his head, before the blue-suited mortal shifted. Loki's piercing emerald gaze switched to him.

"Well, there is someone who could," he began. "Jane glimpsed them when they destroyed Puente Antiguo. She might be able to describe them."

Loki inhaled, trying for patience. He would need to wait until the mortal woman awakened, then. "Very well, I will speak with her later. Do you have any idea where the Skrull and the Jotunns are based?" he asked next.

"Our intelligence would suggest that both leaders have set up base somewhere in northern Europe," Fury gestured to an area on the map, to a large continent sprawling across the world. "Possibly in Russia. But the Skrull and the Frost Giants are spread out across the world. Only parts of South America, Africa and Australia retain any kind of freedom," he continued. "Since the Frost Giants don't seem to appreciate too much sunlight, we only encounter Skrull in those territories."

"What brought you to Earth?" the blue-suited mortal asked, folding his arms across his muscular chest.

Fandral glanced at Loki, who just nodded. His sense of unease had grown. Heimdall had told them Midgard was peaceful, untouched.

It seemed that was not the case.

And if whatever threatened Asgard was in the process of invading Midgard, and could hide that fact from Heimdall…then they possessed a power greater than anything Loki had ever experienced before, in all his centuries of life and study of the magical arts.

He needed to talk to the woman.

He ignored Fandral's explanation of the attack on the Asbru Gate and their presence on Midgard, as he puzzled over why he felt so drawn to the woman.

When he had searched Midgard with his magic, he had felt her mind, so expansive, so full, so rich, richer than any of the minds he had felt during his search. It enthralled him, for all of a moment, and then there was her deed to consider.

Why had she saved him? Pushed him out of the way of that Skrull's weapon without thought to her own life?

The last thing he needed was to be indebted to a mortal…

A tightening sensation grew in Loki's chest, and his fist clenched where it was hidden in the folds of his cloak. Damn her. Damn Jane Foster.

He abruptly looked up, catching Fury's eye. "Where have they taken her?" he asked tersely. The two mortal warriors tensed, but stayed silent as Fury glanced at Romanov.

"In the medical bay. Agent Romanov will take you to her," he gestured to Romanov, and she preceded Loki out the door, as he turned away without further thought to the men behind him.

Fandral watched his old friend leave, and chuckled to himself. How interesting this little jaunt to Midgard was becoming…

* * *

The medical bay was quiet as Erik and Darcy sat beside Jane's bedside, the medical monitors _beeping_ softly, rhythmically in the silence.

Jane hadn't awoken since returning to the base, and in the harsh light of the medical bay, she looked as pale as death itself.

Darcy Lewis had seen too much death in her short life. Her life wasn't meant to be like this.

Hiding in secret bases, manned by superheroes and creepy men in black, with two bloodthirsty enchantresses after you, wanting to enslave and/or kill you.

She stroked Jane's still hand, watched the reassuringly steady movement of her chest as she breathed, and forced herself to remember that Jane was alive. She wasn't dead, she wasn't dying. She was alive.

Erik glanced at her, then smiled gently. "Darcy, go get some rest," he said coaxingly. "The doctors said she's going to be alright."

"No way, I'm not going anywhere," she shook her head, deep brunette waves flying, her glasses flashing in the light. "Not till she wakes up."

Erik reached across and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "And you know when Jane wakes up, all she's going to do is lecture you about not sleeping enough."

Darcy smirked. That was Jane, alright.

Darcy knew she looked like hell. There were deep shadows under her eyes from where she often stayed up late, helping Jane where she could when she was studying the Cube. She was limited, though.

She'd majored in Political Science, not astrophysics or quantum physics.

Besides, rumours were running rife that the alien guys Steve, Clint, Fury and Natasha had brought back in tow were uber-hot. She might just have to swing past the mess hall and take a look.

She made the mistake of glancing at Jane again, as she thought it, and she shivered.

Jane looked dead again.

"Yeah," she began vaguely. "Maybe you're right. I think I'll go get some sleep."

Erik patted her hand, before resuming his vigil beside the woman he saw as a daughter. Darcy stood, feeling the shakiness of her legs, then turned and left the medical bay determinedly.

Darcy made herself think about anything else but that day, as she walked through the bleak corridors of the base, towards her living quarters.

Or of how close they'd been to losing Jane, if this Loki dude hadn't healed her.

_Healed_ her. If it weren't for the fact Darcy had met Captain America and Iron Man, she would think she was dreaming.

There was a constant ache in Darcy's chest now, since Puente Antiguo, and California, and Washington, and so many other really _**bad**_ days.

Like the day she found out her family was wiped out in a Skrull attack.

She closed her eyes as memories of that day filled her mind, and she turned and sat back against a wall, sliding to the floor and resting her head on her knees.

She was dimly aware of someone's footsteps rapidly approaching, but didn't look up. Screw what anyone thought, she was allowed an off minute.

"Why do you cry, mortal?" a deep, husky voice asked. Darcy's head shot up, and though her eyes were red, she wasn't crying. She frowned, as her eyes rushed over polished black boots, strong calves and thighs encased in shining silver armour, and up over a well-muscled physique, again clad in armour and a dark blue cloak thrown rakishly over one shoulder, to a classically handsome face, framed by honey gold hair.

Deep blue eyes watched her concernedly, and she frowned harder.

"I'm not crying," she replied, eying the man in front of her. He was hot, there was no way around it. _**Very**_ hot, at that.

"Forgive me, my lady, but I beg to differ," he replied, holding out a hand to her. She stared at it, then up at him.

"I was just having an off minute," she grumbled, standing up on her own. Or trying to, when Hot-Obviously-Alien-Guy took hold of her waist. "Hey, quit with the violating my personal space thing!"

He let her go too quickly, and she slumped against the wall, glaring at him. He just chuckled. "Forgive me, dear lady."

"I have a _**name**_, dude," she replied tautly. He frowned, and to Darcy's mingled diffidence and amusement, her heart pounded.

"What is a dude?" he asked. Darcy rolled her eyes.

"Never mind, alien boy," she replied. Suddenly the stranger clapped his gauntleted hand to his head.

"Oh dear, I have been remiss. I am Fandral the Dashing, of Asgard, and one third of the Warriors Three," he bowed extravagantly, making Darcy restrain a giggle.

"And that is supposed to be impressive?" she asked. In her head, she instantly branded this guy a player. His head cocked to the side, and he grinned sheepishly.

"Generally yes," he replied. "I was looking for the medical bay, when I saw you."

"Yeah, well it's been a rough day," she murmured defensively. She forced herself to smile. "I'll take you there, if you like."

"Thank you…?" he trailed off, offering his arm gallantly. A part of Darcy wanted to start laughing, the other felt quite happy to be strolling on the arm of such a _**hot**_ guy, even if he was some sort of freaky alien.

"Darcy," she replied, taking his arm, shivering at the strong muscles she could feel, even through his armour and clothes. "Darcy Lewis."

Fandral's eyes smiled at her, as they began to walk. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear Lady Darcy."


	4. Pride and Prejudice

At The Beginning

Warnings: Violence, death, dystopia.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'Katniss Afoot' from 'The Hunger Games: Original Movie Score', 'Daughter's Lament' and 'Run, Daddy, Run' from 'The Hunger Games: Music from District 12 and Beyond', 'Colours of the Wind' from Pocahontas, 'Memories' by Within Temptation and 'She Died The Way She Lived' from 'The Three Musketeers'.

* * *

_You think the only people who are people,_

_Are the people who look and think like you._

_If you walk the footsteps of a stranger,_

_You learn things you never knew,_

_You never knew._

'_**Colours of the Wind' - Judy Kuhn, from Pocahontas**_

* * *

_Medical Bay, SHIELD base, Midgard._

Jane stirred with a groan. Her head was throbbing, and there was an unbelievably irritating _bleeping_ noise coming from somewhere beside her.

A warm hand held one of hers, and she forced open her eyes to find Erik Selvig watching her hopefully.

"Who threw me off a cliff?" she asked hoarsely. Erik chuckled.

"No one. You're as healthy as a horse," he assured her, as she sat up.

"Tell that to my head," she grumbled. Erik stood to fetch a glass of water and some painkillers, as Jane tried to shake the cobwebs lingering over her brain away. She swallowed the pills Erik gave her, and gulped down the water, cool and soothing. Her throat felt parched.

"Romanov told me you got burned by one of those monsters?" Erik asked. Jane's eyes closed, and she winced as a flashback rose in her senses.

The smell of burning human skin, an enraged roar, the dust on her tongue, the pain fogging her every brain cell…

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened," she admitted. Erik didn't look convinced. Jane gave in with a huff. "Fine. You know that atmospheric disturbance my equipment picked up just as the Cube started showing some activity?"

Erik nodded slowly, his frown deepening.

"Well, Fury took me out into the desert, to investigate. The radar picked up some alien activity heading to intercept, and when we got there, we found…" Jane faltered, as her mentor and surrogate father waited patiently. "Something incredible."

"I have been called many things, my lady," a new voice suddenly spoke, and Jane's head jerked around to see the stranger from Asgard, Loki, watching from the doorway to the medical bay. In the shadows behind him, she glimpsed Natasha's nod before she left. Loki smiled wickedly, as he came closer. "But incredible is a new one."

Erik stood up, his eyes raking over Loki's gleaming armour and vivid green cloak, frowning. "Who are you?" he demanded, tersely. Loki's gaze switched to him, and one dark brow rose with a slightly challenging air.

Jane wanted to sigh. Men. Wherever they came from, they were all the same.

This close, with the lights of the medical bay illuminating his form instead of moonlight and flashlights, Jane could see him better.

Black hair so dark, that Jane couldn't think of a word to describe it, fell to his shoulders, curling out at the ends, framing a narrow, alabaster white face. Dark green eyes smouldered in that aristocratic face, wolfish and enthralling.

As for the rest of him…

He was tall, easily towering over everyone at SHIELD, and while lean, she doubted he was weak. He moved with all the grace of a born warrior, confidence and the arrogance of someone born to rule emanating from his every gesture, his every word.

Her gaze lowered to his hands, as pale as his face, and oddly fascinating. She'd identified him as a warrior, but there were no blisters or calluses to be seen. His fingers were graceful, slender; the fingers of an artist, and she shivered as she remembered their touch on her skin, even through the burning and the agony…

Loki felt the mortal woman's regard like a brand passing over his skin. His every muscle tensed, and he drew himself up, determined to ignore it. He didn't have time for this.

He ignored the mortal's impertinence, noticing how he hovered protectively over Jane, almost fatherly.

He met her gaze, and held it. "I need to speak with you, my lady." Jane didn't miss the slight sneer in his lips as he glanced towards Erik. "Alone."

Not able to tear her eyes from his, she forced herself to speak. "What do you need to speak to me about?" she asked. One of Loki's brows rose, and she met it defiantly, even as her heart began to pound.

Damn her bloody hormones!

"I would speak with you, alone," he repeated, his temper rising even as he admired her spirit.

"Erik is my friend and mentor," she replied. "Anything you have to say can be said in front of him."

"Will someone please explain what is going on here? And who you are?" he turned back to Loki demandingly. He sighed, gathering his patience.

"Well, _**Erik**_, I am called Loki the Cunning, Prince of Asgard and appointed representative of my brother, King Thor. Does that satisfy your curiosity?" he asked coldly. "Additionally, I also healed Lady Jane's injuries, injuries she acquired while pushing me out of the way of a Skrull energy weapon."

Erik's eyes widened, and Jane might have laughed if she could. She didn't dare, although a giggle did rise up in her throat when she caught Loki's amused glance.

"Loki? Loki?" he gasped. "As in the Norse God, _Loki_?"

The Prince sighed. "Correct."

"They came from Asgard, Erik," Jane added, a tinge of excitement creeping into her voice. "Don't you see, this only confirms my theories about other worlds and the Einstein-Rosen Bridge!"

"Jane!" Erik snapped. "This is impossible. Those were stories I told you as a kid, to get you to fall asleep at night. You can't expect me to believe that we actually have a _Norse God_ standing in front of us!"

"Erik, he did heal me," she replied softly. "And you should have seen the way he fought those aliens, how the others fought too. And the atmospheric distortions I picked up. It makes sense."

"Jane," Erik sighed tiredly, rubbing his forehead. Loki decided it was time to break up this little argument, irrelevant as it was.

"Regardless of the truth of my origins," he began imperiously, making both scientists look at him. "I still have some things to discuss with the lady. Leave."

Erik bristled, but Jane stopped him with a hand on his sleeve. "It's ok, Erik. Go, find Darcy and make sure she's ok," she whispered, the man turning to meet her imploring gaze. He sighed but did as he was bid, shooting a suspicious, distrustful glare at Loki as he passed. The Prince watched him walk up the medical bay without stopping.

* * *

"Do you often require the protection of such a fierce bodyguard?" he asked wryly, turning back to face the mortal. She glared at him fiercely, folding her arms across her chest.

"Do you often order people around like they're just insects under your boot?" she demanded in return as he took Erik's seat by her bed.

"Compared to me, mortal, you _**are **_an insect," he scoffed, folding his arms, mimicking her defiant gesture.

Jane's amber eyes narrowed. "When was the last time you were on Earth?" she asked abruptly. Loki tensed. Where was she going with this train of argument?

"Some several centuries ago," he replied, and Jane nodded as if assured of something. She was infuriating. "You have improved little."

"Well, then it just shows how narrow-minded _**you**_ are, if you judge us on the way we were the last time you visited. And it's kind of hard to progress very far when half the Earth's population are either dead or in hiding, and the other half have turned into mindless zombies!" she snapped, glaring at him. "And if I'm such an _insect_, then why did you heal me?"

Loki inhaled deeply, fighting for tolerance. This woman could give his mother a run for her money, with her stubbornness.

"Call it a gesture of mercy," he replied, but instantly regretted it as Jane's eyes flashed and her entire body tensed.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she asked icily. Both gazed at each other, fury in their eyes even as their hearts pounded for quite a different reason. Loki's eyes wandered without his consent, noting the flush in her pale skin, a rosy blush extending over her cheeks and down her neck. Her eyes _**burned**_ with all she was feeling, and he glimpsed the same confusion he felt at their odd reactions to each other.

"Look," he snapped his eyes shut, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. "I did not come down here to aggravate you, or to pursue an irrelevant argument."

"You did a bad job then," she retorted. Loki sighed through gritted teeth.

"_**Just**_," he snarled, his hands rising from his lap, but he lowered them again, not sure what he was going to do with them anyway. Wring her neck perhaps? He fought for patience, calling on centuries of rigid self-discipline and forcing himself to calm. No one had got him quite so riled up, not since he was a child. Not even Thor could manage it this easily. "Listen," he finished, catching her gaze and holding it until she nodded once.

He couldn't deny she was spirited, at least.

"I came to Midgard to locate and destroy whatever power brought the Jotunns and the Skrull into my Realm," he continued, when he was sure she would not say anything further. "It appears likely, from what your colleagues have told me, that the same power which controls and directs the Skrull and Jotunns here on Midgard, is the same one which attacked my home. I might be able to identify them if you describe them to me."

His gaze widened in alarm as he noticed the change in Jane. Her angry blush faded, leeching from her skin as the blood had been drained from her body. Her hand clenched on the covers of the bed, and her eyes dropped from his. He frowned, batting away an urge to take her hand.

She had just spent the last five minutes infuriating him, and now he wished to comfort her? Loki had never felt more confused, but as he watched her, a pang ran through his heart.

"Steve told you about the destruction of Puente Antiguo?" she finally spoke, her voice small and quiet.

"He mentioned it, briefly," Loki remembered the blue-suited mortal.

"Well, before SHIELD hired me, I lived there with Erik and my intern Darcy," she began. "I was conducting some research for my doctorate, and Erik recommended me to a friend of his, and then _**he **_recommended me to Fury, since he thought my theories about the Einstein-Rosen Bridge and other worlds might help with some research SHIELD was conducting near Puente Antiguo, in this base. They had just hired me on when the aliens…the Skrull and the Jotunns came," Jane paused, meeting Loki's gaze. He was struck by the haunted look in her eyes, and that pang ran through him again, driving away the irritation she had caused with her arguments.

"They attacked Puente Antiguo. Afterwards, Fury told me they were targeting us, because of the research we were doing. The entire town was razed to the ground," she looked back down. "The Skrull killed almost everyone. Steve, Clint and others from SHIELD came as fast as they could, but most of the town was already ruined."

Loki remembered the scar he had glimpsed on her stomach. "One of the Skrull wounded you, didn't he?" he asked, but Jane shook her head.

"Not exactly. I was in my lab, working, when they came. I was knocked back through a window by one of their weapons and some broken glass slashed my stomach. There was a slight burn from the Skrull's energy weapon. Darcy nearly died and Erik only survived the destruction of the lab because a wall fell over him, and protected him from some of the debris and the fighting. It was Steve who got me out, and to safety," she replied. He felt something stir inside of him at the mention of this 'Steve', and his fist clenched unknowingly.

"What did you see, my lady?" he asked, gentler than any of his previous questions. Jane's breath shuddered, and then her eyes met his once more, and held his gaze this time.

"There were two women with the Skrull. They were just strolling through the carnage, killing and laughing," she replied. "One was about my height, with long dark hair that fell past her waist. She was extremely beautiful and dressed like she was going to some kind of Medieval fancy dress party. The other…she was just as beautiful but colder. When she killed someone, she looked down on them like they were nothing, barely worth the trouble of killing," her eyes rose to his, and he winced as he remembered his earlier comments. "Like _**insects**_."

"What did she look like?" he asked, leaning forward, pushing that niggling feeling aside. The first woman was unknown to him, but the second…

His instincts whispered to him, as his heart pounded uneasily.

"Tall, taller than the first woman, almost as tall as you. She was fair-haired, and slender. She wore a long dress, like the first woman's, but she wore an armoured corset over the top, and white fur along her collar. She had this necklace," Jane gestured. "A pendant…."

Loki's instincts were all but screaming now, as concern began to fill him.

"It was shaped like a Celtic knot, but inside the knot was a hammer," she told him, brow furrowing as she noticed his agitation. Loki's voice was deeper and darker than she had heard before, when he spoke again.

"Did you hear a name?" he growled. Jane fought to recall; she had been wounded and trapped under a couple of layers of broken stonework and glass at the time. She'd almost bled to death. Then she remembered.

"I heard the other one, the dark one, call her…Amora," she replied, her forehead clearing as she recalled. "Amora."

Despite his instincts having been proved right, Loki still felt winded. Amora.

Unpleasant memories filled his mind, as his gaze unfocussed. Of all the banished Aesir, it had to be _**her**_.

Now he knew at least part of the source of the magic he had sensed. But she had grown even more powerful in the long years of her exile, it seemed.

And it explained the attack on Asgard.

He needed to inform his brother, immediately.

* * *

"Uhh, Your Highness?" Jane asked tentatively. "Your Highness?"

Loki snapped from his ruminations, as she glanced at him concernedly. "What?" he snapped, making her bristle once more.

"Are all Asgardians this rude?" she asked, clearly not expecting an answer. "I was concerned, alright? Forgive me for being human."

Loki sighed. He was more irritable than he should be, and he was still feeling the effects of healing Jane. He was above snapping at common mortals.

Especially common mortals with the unusual ability to simultaneously fascinate and exasperate him with every word from her pretty little mouth.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him, making him frown.

"What 'research' were you doing for SHIELD that could have brought Amora and this other woman to your home?" he asked. Jane tensed.

"I'm not allowed to say. You'll have to ask Director Fury about that," she replied. Loki sighed in frustration. Jane's eyes lingered on him, as an idea dawned in her mind. "You know of this Amora."

"I do," he admitted. "She is an Aesir, once a lady of the court. She was exiled."

"What for?" she asked.

Loki's eyes snapped to hers, consideringly, before telling her. "She attempted to murder a very dear friend of my brother's, and myself, because she saw her as a rival for Thor's love. She never possessed it in the first place, she was merely a dalliance that my brother soon passed over in favour of another," he explained dismissively. Jane snorted.

"I'd be pretty annoyed too," she muttered. "Doesn't sound like your brother's very…constant."

Loki smirked. "That is one of the more polite ways I have heard to describe my brother's youthful dalliances."

Jane couldn't help but smile, glancing down at her hands. Silence fell between them, uncomfortable, tense. When Loki stood, Jane nearly jumped as she looked up at his towering form.

"Good night, Lady Jane," he murmured, before turning and walking away without a glance, leaving Jane open-mouthed behind him.


	5. A Life For A Life

At The Beginning

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'Archery' from 'The Young Victoria', 'I'm Yours' from 'Casino Royale', 'Science and Magic' from 'Thor: Original Soundtrack' and 'Sayuri's Theme' from 'Memoirs of a Geisha'.

* * *

"_I don't think, sir, you have any right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience."_

_**- Jane Eyre to Mr Rochester, Chapter 14.**_

_He held out his hand; I gave him mine: he took it first in one, then in both his own._

"_You have saved my life: I have a pleasure in owing you so immense a debt. I cannot say more. Nothing else has being would have been tolerable to me in the character of creditor for such an obligation: but you: it is different - I feel your benefit no burden, Jane."_

_**- Mr Rochester to Jane Eyre, Chapter 15.**_

* * *

_A corridor just outside the medical bay, SHIELD base, New Mexico, Midgard._

Darcy and Fandral walked through the base, Darcy's arm in Fandral's. Fandral wasn't entirely sure he had ever heard one person talk so much, and with such little pause for breath.

She seemingly talked about everything and everyone, her mind jumping from one topic to the next without connection. It was making him dizzy.

And entertained.

She made a nice change from the broodiness of Thor and Hogun, the obsessive discourse on food from Volstagg, and the sternness of Queen Sif.

Even Loki did not keep him as entertained.

"Erik!" Darcy's voice suddenly called out, and he looked ahead to see a middle-aged gentleman in unfamiliar garments come marching up to them, his face thunderous. "What's wrong?" she asked, her bright smile fading. Fandral found himself missing it, but when he met this Erik's stormy glare, he had an inkling as to what had happened.

"Who's this?" he demanded, gesturing to Fandral, who drew himself up.

"Fandral the Dashing, of Asgard. I came with the Prince Loki," he explained. The mortal, Erik, shook his head.

"Oh, God another one," he sighed. "You alright, Darcy?"

"I'm fine," she replied brightly. His gaze slid to Fandral and narrowed.

"You take care of her," he growled, as he stepped past them. "And keep your hands to yourself!"

"What an offensive fellow!" Fandral huffed, as Darcy glared at him.

"And are you?" she asked. He frowned.

"What?"

"Going to keep your hands to yourself?" she continued, as Fandral sighed. As he opened his mouth to reply, Loki's voice barked across the corridor.

"Fandral! I must speak with Fury. Come!" he called, passing Darcy without so much as a glance, his emerald cloak billowing around him. Fandral hid a smirk at the obviously aggravated expression on his Prince's face.

He turned back to Darcy, and bowed over her hand. "A thousand sweet goodbyes, my Lady Darcy, until our next meeting-" he began, brushing her knuckles with his lips when Loki's annoyed, commanding voice filtered back down the corridor.

"_**NOW**_, Fandral!"

He sighed, before rising from his bow, shooting a grin at Darcy and turning to follow his Prince.

She watched him go with a stunned look on her face.

"They might be rude, freaky aliens," she muttered, before turning back to the medical bay to visit Jane. "But they're pretty cut."

When Fandral caught up with Loki, he took in the frustrated look on his Prince's face, and chuckled.

Loki sent him a swift, sideways glare. "Say one word, Fandral, and I _**will**_ turn you into toad," he growled.

"Why do I sense that mortal woman who saved your life is at the heart of this?" Fandral replied, ignoring Loki's threat. "Why does she vex you so?"

Loki's steps slowed, and he sighed. "I do not know. When I first took her hand, I sought only to dazzle her and the other mortals, so as to expedite the fulfilment of our task. But when I did…"

"Do you mean to say you are attracted to this woman, this Lady Jane?" his companion asked, shaking his head in wonder. It would never cease, it seemed.

"I don't know, and it matters not," Loki snarled. "We came here to complete a task, not to bed Midgardian maidens, a fact you would do well to remember, Fandral."

"And if I may comment, my Prince, perhaps our task might not be so difficult to achieve if you were to see these mortals as allies and not servants," Fandral replied coolly. "From what I have seen around this base, these mortals have survived in odds that _**we**_ have never faced, in all our long centuries of life. Perhaps they could help."

Loki did not reply, but his eyes darkened as he came to a halt. Fandral pondered if he had gone too far, but when the Prince turned to him, he did not look angered, but thoughtful. "Find Hogun and Volstagg, and bring them to me," was all he said before he turned away. Fandral watched him go, and sighed.

As Loki walked, he felt the darkness of the corridors, lit only by red emergency lighting, swallow him up and sooth him. He closed his eyes and slowed, leaning against a wall.

Why had she saved him? _**Why**_?

The question whirled around his mind, but it inspired no answer. And just as importantly…why had _**he**_ saved _**her**_?

Were it not for his duty to Asgard, and to Thor, he would have thought that coming to Midgard was a mistake. Barely hours after landing, and he was already in trouble, and it was not the sort that magic, or force, could dispel.

It didn't help that he had been feeling uneasy since the attack on the Asbru Gate. He thought it might be explained by Jane's revelation about Amora, but…

No, something was still out of place, and it was _**here**_, in this underground base of SHIELD's. He had an unpleasant feeling that it was something to do with the research Jane and her colleagues were conducting. Research which almost got her killed…

His chest tightened, and he pulled in a shuddering breath. This was ridiculous!

Really, what could mortals possess that Amora and her mysterious ally were so desperate to acquire, and destroy anyone who came into contact with it?

Assuming it was an _**it**_. No matter, he would discover exactly what nature of research the mortals were conducting soon enough.

Loki fought to ignore the tightness in his chest. He would not allow the thoughtless deed of a Midgardian maiden to distract him from his task here.

He straightened from the wall, and continued his search for Fury.

* * *

"Hey!" a voice suddenly called, and he turned to find the blue-suited mortal, Steve, staring at him from an intersection. "You looking for someone?"

Loki paused, considering the mortal, pushing away primitive feelings of jealousy that this man had touched Jane. "Yes," he finally replied. "I am looking for Fury."

"He's in the control room," Steve replied. "I'll take you to him, if you like."

Loki acquiesced with a nod, the younger man falling into step beside him. He was tall, for a mortal, and muscular with golden hair falling over his brow. But there was an innocence to his handsome features, in those blue eyes, that made Loki think of the way Thor had been when they were boys in the schoolroom.

However there was something…not quite right about him. Loki's eyes narrowed.

"What are you?" he asked bluntly. Steve turned to look at him, surprised, before his face hardened.

"That's rich, coming from someone who claims to be a Norse God," he muttered. Loki sighed but forced himself to remember Fandral's words.

"I did not mean any offence," he began, as they walked. "But you seem…something _**more**_ than human."

"How d'you mean?" Steve looked down, refusing to meet Loki's piercing eye.

"Your colleagues, Romanov and…Clint, was it? Both are clearly skilled in their areas of expertise, but are very much ordinary humans. You, on the other hand…I sense something more to you that I do not in them," the Prince deigned to explain, as they passed through corridor after corridor that Loki had only vague recollections of walking through when Romanov took him to Jane.

"A few decades back, there was a war," Steve began shortly, his every word clipped and tense. "The American government began experimenting, trying to find a way to create a super-soldier. They succeeded in me. I have accelerated reflexes and strength, and increased longevity, and I became Captain America. During a fight with an enemy during the war, I was frozen for seventy years until SHIELD found me and revived me."

One dark brow rose on Loki's forehead. "Are there not others like you?"

"No," Steve replied tersely. "The man who created the Super-Serum, Professor Erskine, was killed by the enemy shortly after I was injected with the serum. After I was revived, Fury recruited me into the Avengers Iniative."

The super-soldier caught Loki's questioning gaze, and smiled, a touch bitterly. "We're a team of Earth's strongest heroes," he continued. "Me, Romanov, Clint and Iron Man. We did have another, Dr Bruce Banner with us, who could transform into a massive green creature with immense strength but he was killed by the Enchantresses."

"Enchantresses?" Loki asked, frowning.

"It's what we call those two women who came with the Skrull and the Jotunns," Steve replied. "Unless they're dead, or hiding in SHIELD bases like this one, most of the human population are their slaves. They seem to be able to take people's free will away from them, so they can command them to do anything."

Loki didn't reply. If that was so, Amora's power had grown. And as for the other…

"Jane mentioned that it was you who saved her from the destruction of Puente Antiguo," he started, as Steve's head jerked around sharply at his words. "Did you catch any glimpse of the women?"

"Only briefly," he shrugged. "And from a distance."

Steve's step slowed, then he whirled around to face Loki, his face grimly determined. Loki sighed and readied himself for whatever question the mortal had. "Why did you heal her?" he demanded, slightly wildly. "Jane, I mean. I get the feeling you don't really like humans, so why heal her?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Loki shrugged evasively, already stepping around the man, when his grip latched onto his arm. He was strong, yes, but Loki could still break his grip with his own. "I would let my arm go, if I were you, _**mortal**_."

"_**That's**_ what I'm talking about!" Steve snarled. "You look down on us like we're nothing, like scum yet you saved her! I could see how tired it made you, even if you hid it from everyone else!"

"My motivations are my own, _**Captain**_," Loki snapped, wresting his arm away. "But if you do something like that again, rest assured I will break your arm next time."

And with that, he stalked away, towards the Control Room, leaving Steve staring after him, gloweringly.

* * *

The Control Room was a cavernous chamber, reaching far above Loki's head. All around him were banks of computers and visual screens, and black-suited men and women worked steadily. He stood on a gantry above a platform, where Fury stood, talking with Hill and Romanov.

He looked up, and acknowledged the tall Asgardian, leaning regally on the gantry railing.

"I can identify one of your 'Enchantresses'," Loki called, leaving his perch to descend the stairs. "One is named Amora. She was once a lady of the Asgardian court before she was exiled for attempted murder."

"You're sure?" Fury asked narrowly. Loki frowned, crossing his arms as he stared the mortal down.

"Absolutely," he replied grimly. "It would explain much of the power your enemies have been able to exert, the control she holds over the other humans, the Skrull and the Jotunns. Additionally, it would also explain not only _**how**_ she attacked Asgard, but _**why**_."

Fury nodded as Loki joined them.

"She has a grudge," Hill replied, again more a statement of fact than a question, but Loki inclined his head anyway.

"Additionally," he began dangerously. "Miss Foster mentioned that she had been only just recruited to work for SHIELD when Puente Antiguo was attacked. She told me you believed it was because of some kind of research she was conducting that Amora and her accomplice wished stopped."

Fury tensed, and Loki smirked grimly.

"Ahh, I see you know what I'm speaking of. In which case," he purred silkily. "You will tell me what kind of research your kind could have been conducting that would bring an army of Skrull and two sorceresses down on the heads of a desert backwater town?"

"That is none of your concern," Fury replied through gritted teeth.

"Oh, I rather think it is, Fury," Loki replied coldly. "I can sense something here, in this base. And if you do not show me of your own free will, rest assured that I will do so myself."

Loki's and Fury's gazes locked, their wills clashing visibly in the suddenly tense room. Romanov's hand strayed to her holster while Hill's eyes darted between the two men.

The tension was sliced in half when the sound of metallic footsteps sounded on the gantry above.

"What I'd miss?" Tony Stark smiled winningly, the helmet of his suit retracted to show his winning smile. It faded as his eyes fell on Loki. "Looks like I missed a hell of a lot."

* * *

_Medical Bay_

Jane took the fresh clothes Darcy had brought gratefully, and changed quickly behind the screen. Now her headache had eased, she was full of energy and more than ready to get back to work.

Just because she hoped it would take her mind off of that Asgardian Prince, and her reaction to him.

He was…frustrating. On the one hand, he was aloof, superior and generally arrogantly infuriating, while on the other hand…she felt drawn to him, her heart pounding when he touched her, her skin aflame when he looked at her…and she knew he felt the same, in those cool emerald eyes, she saw the flashes of heat, mingled with confusion.

How old those eyes looked! Not because they were wrinkled or showed any actual signs of aging but…there was something in them that denoted their longevity. How long had he lived? What could he have seen?

Now they were separated, Jane was beset more by questions than she was by anger, and a soft glow suffused her at the thought that, after all those years before the invasion, that she had always been _**right**_.

_**She was right**_.

Nothing could diffuse that glow, even when Erik came back into the medical bay with a book clutched in one hand. She met his stormy gaze, and mentally flinched. He was not happy.

"What did _**Prince**_ Loki want?" he asked snappily. Jane's eyes narrowed.

"He wanted to ask about the women I saw when Puente Antiguo was destroyed," she replied. "He knew one of them, Amora. Said she was an exiled Asgardian."

"That's part of what I wanted to talk to you about now," Erik replied, coming forward and holding out the book in his hand.

_Mythology: Fernand Comte._

"What is this, Erik?" she asked, taking it gingerly. A page was marked in _**L**_.

Loki.

"I'm just trying to show you how ridiculous all this is," Erik began. "He claims he's a figure from Norse mythology, for chrissake!"

"You didn't see what I saw, Erik!" Jane snapped. "He healed me. He _**healed**_ me, and that's not to mention what I saw him do to some of the Skrull."

"Jane, listen to yourself!" he snapped back. "You're forgetting that there are plenty of people in this world who can do strange things. The X-Men, for example, or even the Enchantresses!"

"But what about those atmospheric disturbances that coincided with his arrival? And the others with him? What about them? They're not human, Erik," she thrust the book away, letting Darcy take it tentatively, as she pointed an accusatory finger at Erik. "You're the one who's always pushed me to chase down every possibility, every alternative! Well, I can ignore what I saw, what I _**felt**_!"

"I'm talking about science, not magic and fairy tales!" he replied shortly.

"Well, magic's just science we don't understand yet!" Jane snapped back. "Arthur C. Clarke!"

"Who wrote science fiction!" Erik sighed exasperatedly.

"A precursor to science _**fact**_!" Jane shouted, getting angry at her mentor.

"In _**some**_ cases, maybe" he admitted begrudgingly. "But _**Asgard**_? _**Loki**_? The _**God of Mischief and Lies**_? _**Thor**_? Come on, Jane!"

"Well if there is an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, and Loki and the others Asgardians used it to cross over, then Asgard must exist in some form!" she replied heatedly.

"A primitive culture like the Vikings could have worshipped them as deities," Darcy interjected, looking up from her reading with a slightly furrowed brow. "I spoke to one of them earlier, Fandral. He seemed legit."

"Exactly! Thank you!" Jane threw up her hands, sending Erik a victorious glare. He sighed wearily.

Suddenly Darcy giggled, making Jane turn to her. "What?"

"Well, the author got this right," she told her, before reciting. "_Loki was the son of Odin and Frigg, King and Queen of Asgard. He was extremely handsome and seductive, and a spirit of air and fire…"_

"I'd say that's about right," Darcy finished with a grin and a sideways glance at Jane. She coloured and turned away, filching the book from Darcy's grip as the door opened and Maria Hill poked her head in.

She smiled when she saw Jane up and about. "Hey," she called softly. "Nick wants you in the lab. Tony's down there with him, and they're showing that Asgardian the Cube."

Jane was out the door before Hill could even blink, Darcy and Erik in her wake.

* * *

Loki felt his teeth set on edge as Fury and the mortal known as Iron Man led him down, further into the bowels of the earth, to a lab housing their 'research project'.

He could feel power, raw, unlimited power, calling to him and he shuddered in his armour. He didn't like this.

They passed through several security doors and barriers before they entered the lab itself, a sterile, spartan environment.

The walls were covered in computers and circuit boards, the few worktables piled high with equipment and notes. He glimpsed an unmade cot in one corner, and his brow rose.

Why did he get the feeling he knew exactly _**who **_slept in there?

Sure enough, Jane Foster burst through the door a moment later, followed by her colleagues, her cheeks flushed and rosy.

She had changed from the burned, ruined garment she'd worn in the medical bay; the soft blouse in a becoming shade of red, the dark trousers of the same material as her colleagues' but they held tighter to her body, revealing a svelte figure shaped by hardship and tribulation.

He blinked and forced himself to concentrate, pulling his mind away from the mortal's beauty.

"Ahh, Miss Foster," Fury smiled slightly as the young woman stepped forward. "Glad to see you up and about."

"Director Fury," Jane nodded, a slight smile on her lips as her eyes fell on Stark. "Tony.

"Hey there, darlin'," he grinned. "Heard about your accident. You don't look a degree under smoking hot, as usual."

"Always the charmer," Jane sighed exasperatedly. Loki watched the interaction between the two, eyes narrowed. Somehow, despite their flirting, or rather _**Stark's**_ flirting, it didn't seem…more than just teasing.

He felt Jane's eyes flick to his, and he mentally flinched. He inclined his head to her but did not offer a verbal greeting. She drew herself up, making Loki inwardly chuckle.

"Maria said you were showing him the Cube?" she asked, looking back at Fury. Loki's senses focussed abruptly, reminded of why he was there. Fury nodded, and gestured for Jane to precede him to a worktable on which rested a square, metallic case, surrounded by scanners and computers.

"If you would, Miss Foster," the Director replied.

"The Cube was originally found by an organisation known as 'Hydra' during the Second World War," Jane began to explain. "Steve, Captain America, rescued it from enemy hands and it was eventually recovered by SHIELD, and kept here for analysis…"

Her slender fingers reached for the case, sliding it open.

Loki caught his breath as the full force of the thing inside hit him, so powerful, so intense that his head began to pound and his every nerve screamed.

Inside was a small cube-shaped artefact, nestled in a bed of grey cushioning foam, gleaming a brilliant white light. He inhaled shakily, as he leaned forward to examine it.

Abruptly one of the monitors chirped, and Jane leapt forward as the Cube seemed to glow brighter.

"What did you just do?" she demanded eagerly. "In all our years of research, we have never detected so much as a smidgen of reaction from the Cube-"

"I did nothing," Loki replied, moving back from the Cube, frowning. "How did you acquire this?"

Jane frowned, as Fury stepped forward. "We recovered it from Hydra…"

"Yes, I heard you the first time," Loki snapped. "Before that…"

Stark just shook his head. "Don't know. It's been passed along from one organisation to the next for decades. We don't where it came from, except it's obviously alien."

"It's more than that," Loki breathed, returning to stare at the Cube. "It's Asgardian."

"What?" Erik exploded, as Jane's smile brightened.

"How can you tell?" she asked, as Loki glanced to her, surprised. Her enthusiasm, even over something as dangerous as this, was infectious.

"It's called a tesseract; _**the**_ tesseract. The only one of its kind. It was lost many centuries ago in a war between Asgard and Jotunheim, the Realm that the Frost Giants come from," he explained. "It was thought destroyed but…"

"But obviously not," Jane finished for him, her brow furrowed. "Wait, perhaps that's why it responded just now! It responded to the presence of an Asgardian!"

"To my magic, maybe," Loki conceded. "This device holds unlimited power, it is only natural it would call to another power when it senses it."

"You're talking like it's sentient," Stark's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Loki turned to him, consideringly. He was not quite so inane as the other mortals, if somewhat annoying. Not unlike Jane…he wondered if they were related.

"It is, to an extent. A device cannot hold this much power with the development of some sentience," he replied, thinking of Mjolnir and Gungnir, who knew their true owners by touch and worked for no other. "I do not know much more. It was lost before I was born, and even then it was known to but a few. You should not have taken it."

"Oh, really?" Fury replied coolly.

"It should have been returned to Asgard," Loki continued firmly. Jane rolled her eyes.

"Well forgive us for not having Asgard on speed dial," she replied caustically. Loki's eyes narrowed, but her sarcastic furore seemed to fade, as she stepped forward and met his eyes. "Look, this…tesseract may be the only thing which could help us stop Amora and her friends."

"You have no idea what you're dealing with," Loki replied, his voice a low, warning growl. In truth, neither did he, although he could guess. He felt the tesseract's power singing to him, seductive and mesmerising.

"Then help us!" she replied earnestly. "Help us to understand!"

Their gazes locked and held, and the entire world shrunk down to a narrow, tiny little bubble of existence and sensation. Jane's breath felt frozen in her lungs, as she looked up at the towering Prince, who's own breath seemed as suspended as her own.

"I must…" he began stiltedly, his voice almost too low for the others to hear. "I must apologise for my…harsh words earlier this evening. You saved my life, and they were uncalled for."

Jane's brow knotted together, as she wondered where he was going with this, even as her heart pounded. "You saved mine," she replied as he took her hand. All their arguing earlier seemed to melt away, and she fought back a shiver as his strong hand closed around hers.

"I did," Loki's lips quirked upwards, in another smile that set Jane's heart racing in double time. "And I owe you a debt for the first, as you owe me a debt for the second. So I will help you, Jane Foster, but you and you alone."

Jane was vaguely aware of Stark's and Erik's protests, but when she looked to Fury, he just nodded.

Stark eyed the pair, mortal and Aesir, and huffed. "So when's the wedding!"

* * *

**A/N: Mythology by Fernand Comte was my favourite compilation of myths and legends when I was a child, and some of the quote was lifted directly from it. Although, I did change some of the wording; after all it wouldn't do for the Midgardians to know the truth about Loki before he does ;D.**


	6. Among The Stars

At The Beginning

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: Section I: 'First Class' from 'X-Men: First Class Original Soundtrack'. Section II: 'Letters From Victoria' from 'The Young Victoria' and 'An Ideal Marriage' from 'Downton Abbey'. Section III, IV & V: 'My Edward and I' from 'Jane Eyre 2011'.

* * *

_"May I ask to what these questions tend?"_

_"Merely to the illustration of your character," said she, endeavouring to shake off her gravity. "I am trying to make it out."_

_"And what is your success?"_

_She shook her head. "I do not get on at all. I hear such different accounts of you as puzzle me exceedingly." _

_"I can readily believe," answered he gravely, "that reports may vary greatly with respect to me; and I could wish, Miss Bennet, that you were not to sketch my character at the present moment, as there is reason to fear that the performance would reflect no credit on either."_

_"But if I do not take your likeness now, I may never have another opportunity." _

_**- Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 18**_

* * *

Just as Stark's sarcastic comment faded on the suddenly tense air, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg marched through the door.

Their eyes fell on Jane's hand in Loki's, and while Volstagg's widened, Fandral just grinned to himself. Hogun, as usual, said nothing.

Loki's eyes narrowed as he caught Fandral's grin. His emerald eyes flashed as he dropped Jane's hand, a clear warning in his eyes: _not a word!_

"Hogun, Volstagg," he barked, the two bowing and pressing their fists to their chests in fealty. Jane and the others watched wide-eyed. "Tomorrow night, you will return to Asgard and inform my brother of developments here."

"Yes, my Prince," Volstagg murmured respectfully through his russet beard. "If I may beg your indulgence, my Prince…what are they?"

Loki chuckled. "Namely that Amora has returned from exile and is responsible for the attack on the Asbru Gate. You must also inform my brother that the Midgardians have recovered the tesseract of Asgard, and that Amora seeks it for her own," he replied, as Hogun, Volstagg and Fandral's eyes widened in shock. "Additionally you must warn my brother that there may be more traitors in Asgard, and that he must prepare for war, which I am sure will please him."

"Yes, my Prince," Hogun murmured harshly.

Loki looked to Fury. "I take it then, that you have a place where my men may rest?" he asked. Fury nodded, and turned away, already speaking low and fast into his communications device. Loki turned back to Hogun and Volstagg.

"Do you not return with us, my Prince?" Volstagg asked.

"No." was the terse reply. "My task here is not yet done. The identity of the second sorceress is still unknown, and Amora is undefeated. The mortals require our aid, and then there is the tesseract to consider. I have already pledged myself to the mortals' service in this matter, and I will remain here, until either Amora falls, or Asgard is on the brink of destruction."

"Yes, my Prince," the two warriors bowed. Hill and Romanov appeared in the doorway, and Fury looked to Loki and Jane questioningly.

"Go," the Prince nodded to his three warriors. "Rest, and I will see you tomorrow night."

"Why tomorrow night?" Jane asked, frowningly, as the Warriors Three left with Hill and Romanov, Darcy and Erik in their wake, but not before the latter shot Loki a suspicious glare. "Why not now?"

"Because undoubtedly Amora and her accomplice will be alert for more activity in this area, especially now they will most likely have discovered the Bifrost site, and possibly even sensed my arrival here," he explained, to Jane's surprise. "I cloaked my power upon arrival, but if Amora's power has increased so much, it is possible she might have sensed my own. And I would rather my men leave under cover of darkness, to prevent detection as long as possible. My magic can only shield them so much."

Jane nodded, but her eyes glittered with still more questions, giving Loki the feeling that he would be hoarse before the night was out for answering her questions.

Oddly enough, the prospect was not unbearable.

He felt Fury's gaze on him again, and met it. The one-eyed man's single brow rose, and Loki nodded.

"Very well, then I will leave you two to your research," he backed away to the door. "Don't hesitate to call for anything."

Stark's brow rose, his eyes twinkling as he glanced at Loki and Jane, still stood so close to one another without either one realising it. "Go easy on her, big fella!" he called jokingly, making Jane blush and gape with mingled outrage and embarrassment as Loki stared.

"What did he mean 'go easy on you'?" he asked, looking down on the woman beside him. To his puzzlement, her blush deepened as she turned away, one hand gesturing airily.

"Nothing," she replied. "Don't worry about it. Just Tony being…well, Tony."

"He's unusual, for a mortal," Loki murmured. He gave him that. "He seems to enjoy flirting with you."

Jane frowned. "Oh, God no! That's just Tony. Besides, he's married to a lovely woman called Pepper," she replied hastily, before her temper rose slightly. "Besides why should you care?"

Loki sighed wearily. "I don't," he muttered. He wasn't called the Liesmith for nothing…

Jane didn't know why her stomach fluttered the way it did as he avoided her gaze, but she ignored it as she turned back to the Cub- to the tesseract.

She opened her mouth to ask a question, one of many, when Loki touched one of the laptops, and frowned.

"What is this contraption?" he asked, gazing down at it curiously. Jane smiled and proceeded to tell him.

And so the night wore on, neither tiring, neither faltering in their questions as Jane taught Loki how to use the computers and other equipment littering her lab, and he told all she wished about Asgardian theories.

To his surprise, she caught on quickly.

Down in the lab, it was almost impossible to note the passage of time; its only markers the occasional passing visit of Tony or Erik.

Hill brought Jane some coffee, giving her a knowing smile before leaving without saying a word. Jane let the warm ceramic soothe her tired hands, as she watched Loki expound on the theory behind the Bifrost after she had asked about the Einstein-Rosen Bridge.

"May I come with you when Volstagg and Hogun go back to Asgard?" she asked, interrupting his discourse reluctantly. It was all fascinating.

Not least Loki himself, as he spoke eloquently and with certainty. His pale, elegant hands flew as he talked, his low, richly refined voice painting a picture in words while Jane jotted down notes in her notebook.

She blinked as his gaze met hers, forcing herself to pretend she hadn't just been staring at him.

"If you wish," he eventually replied. "Valhalla knows, you are a skilled warrior enough should any Skrull come calling."

Jane chuckled. "Shut up, no I'm not," she retorted, but without venom at his teasing. "I can barely hold a gun, let alone shoot it."

"Some of us are born to be fighters, Miss Foster," he replied. "Others are simply not."

Jane didn't feel insulted by his words. They were simply a statement of fact. "Call me Jane," she suddenly blurted, before she felt her skin heat up, as his eyes flew to hers piercingly. " 'Miss Foster' makes me sound old."

"Not compared to me, you're not," he grinned, dissipating the tension. "Jane."

Jane really did not want to acknowledge the shiver running down her spine when he said her name, his tongue caressing the single syllable as it left his mouth.

She lost the battle.

Loki's gaze drifted over her, almost lazily. When she yawned, almost wide enough to make her jaw crack, it sharpened.

"Do I bore you?" he asked. Jane shook her head, her soft hair shushing against her back.

"NO!" she blurted, suddenly feeling very young and foolish. She was acting like a freshman with a crush, for goodness' sake! "I guess I'm just a little…tired."

Loki's head cocked to one side as he turned towards the unmade, mean little cot bed. "Then by all means, rest," he gestured to the bed. "I will wake you before I leave for the Bifrost site."

Jane acquiesced, more to escape his sudden scrutiny than anything else. But she _**was**_ tired.

She left her perch on one of the stools and toed her shoes off, before snuggling down on the cot. It was spartan, but it moulded around her body from long use, and her eyes began to drift shut almost immediately before a worrying thought niggled in her brain.

"What will you do? For sleep, I mean?" she asked, levering herself up on her elbows.

Loki looked down at her, and knew he would not get so much as a minute of rest that night. His chest tightened, at the sight of her, long hair already slightly dishevelled from lying back on the lumpy pillow, her body looking somehow so small atop that bed, but still so…inviting.

No, he would not be getting any sleep tonight.

He smiled to reassure her. "I don't need to sleep much, Jane," he lied easily enough. "While you rest, I'll perhaps think more on how we may begin testing the properties of the tesseract."

Jane frowned. "Oh, ok," she yawned again, eliciting a small chuckle from Loki. She reminded him of himself when he tried to ward off sleep as a child, and Frigg's gentle, knowing smiles as he succumbed. "Wake me if you think of anything interesting. Goodnight, your Highness."

"Loki," he suddenly breathed. A moment later he cursed himself, what was he thinking? But she didn't comment, just smiled as she burrowed down into the covers of her bed.

When his name fell from her lips, it was a soft sigh, almost like a prayer. "_Loki_."

His chest tightened further, and he moved without realising it, hovering over her and pulling the thin blanket higher over her shoulder. She didn't stir, the dark shadows under her eyes telling him how tired she really was. He sighed, and returned to his seat, forcing his eyes away to the tesseract.

Over the coming hours, he found his eyes drifting to Jane's peacefully resting form more than they stayed fixed on the tesseract.

* * *

Jane was started awake by a soft _whirring_, and she blinked her eyes hard to focus. She sat up, to find Loki peering down at the tesseract, his eyes narrowed.

"How long was I out?" she asked, pushing the blanket away from her. She heard Loki's low chuckle and glanced up as she brushed her hair back and gathered it into a ponytail with a spare band she found in her jean pocket. "What?"

"Midgardians," he replied. "You and your queer little sayings."

Sighing to herself, she glanced at the clock on one of the laptops. 9 am.

She'd slept about five hours. She frowned as she stretched out complaining joints and muscles, easing the ache in her body. Loki glanced swiftly in her direction, before returning his gaze to the tesseract.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" she asked, as she joined him in front of the tesseract. "What are you thinking?"

"What makes you believe I'm thinking anything, my lady?" he replied curtly. Jane rolled her eyes. And here she'd thought they were actually starting to get along.

"You're telling me that there are times where you _**don't**_ think anything?" she asked mockingly. "Yeah, I'll believe that in a million years."

Loki chuckled. "No, I leave the brainlessness to my brother," he quipped, as Jane's amber eyes searched his face.

"You don't think very highly of your brother, do you?" she asked softly. His answering glare was swift and icy, as his attention was diverted from the tesseract. "You can glare at me all you like. I don't need siblings to know about rivalry."

"You know nothing," was the short, bitten reply as Loki looked back to the tesseract, his eyes glaring into its shining depths. Jane laughed bitterly.

"Don't I?" she retorted. "Before SHIELD, before the war, I was the laughing stock of the scientific community for my theories about other worlds and the Einstein-Rosen bridge. All my college friends were going places, winning awards and getting all the praise, while I was shoved into the shadows and laughed at. So perhaps I might know how it feels."

He didn't reply, but she saw the anger fade slightly, as his brow furrowed thoughtfully. At last, when he spoke, it was in a quiet, almost pained voice. "I love my brother deeply, but unlike many in Asgard, I am not blind to his faults."

Jane accepted that, and didn't say anything else on the subject. She could tell it was a sore one, for Loki. She wondered what could have happened in his past to cause it.

"So," she eventually began. "What have progress have you made on how to test this thing?"

Loki couldn't help but laugh. "You're incorrigible, Jane Foster," he chuckled. "While you were asleep, I considered your theory about the tesseract reacting mine and the other Aesir's arrival and continued presence here. If you look at the readings," he tapped one of the touch sensitive screens, bringing up a graph with wildly sparking data as Jane eyed it thoughtfully. "You can see the tesseract's energy activity has increased by nearly 70% since I arrived."

"So you think it's been in a dormant state all this time?" she asked. "Until someone from its original home returned?"

"Possibly," he folded his arms, stroking his middle finger over his top lip. Jane fought her reaction to the sight, reminding herself to stay focussed. The excitement in her veins wasn't wholly sexual, and it helped her mind to remain on the tesseract. "Tell me, has any mortal been known to have touched the tesseract by hand?"

"Umm," Jane struggled to remember, something Steve had once told her floating in her head. "Yeah, I think. The man who had it before SHIELD, Johann Schmidt, touched it once. Steve was there, watched the tesseract burn away his skin and bones until there was nothing left, apparently."

"Well, then I would advise that you do not get too close to it, Jane," he mused. "I doubt Director Fury would be too pleased if you were disintegrated while in my care."

"_**Your**_ care?" Jane laughed. "Somehow, I think it's the other way around, buddy."

Just then, a lock of hair came loose from her ponytail, and just grazed the tesseract's gleaming surface-

Jane was thrown back by a concussive force, that almost felt like her bones were going to break. Just as abruptly, she stopped, feeling hard, strong arms around her waist, holding her, protecting her. Her feet dangled above the ground, as she exhaled shakily.

"You were saying?" Loki asked, with a pointedly raised brow. Jane glared at him even as her heart thudded at being held in his arms. She met his gaze over her shoulder, and couldn't hide her shiver this time, as his emerald eyes darkened.

His arms tightened for a moment, and Jane could scarcely pant against the steely hardness of his armour, and the strength of his hands.

Then, with frighteningly controlled precision, he placed her back on the floor.

Jane pushed back from his arms as soon as they loosened enough, feeling like her heart was doing a marathon in her chest cavity. She met his eyes with trepidation, to find them somehow more closed off than before, like shutters had gone down behind them.

The air was thick and heavy as they stared at one another, watching, waiting for the other to move.

"I would advise that you do not do that again, Jane," he finally spoke, his voice husky, low, taut with a sudden fierceness which sent shudders down her spine. She nodded, and broke their shared gaze.

She felt him turn away, back to the tesseract and did not know if her exhale was one of relief, or disappointment.

Suddenly, she heard a rustling noise and looked up to see Loki holding her notebook and the book of mythology Erik had pushed on her last night. He grinned, seemingly back to his mischievous best, as he held it up, his emerald eyes twinkling. "A bit of light reading?" he inquired lightly. Jane, relieved to be back on their previous footing, smiled.

"More like research," she replied. "Erik still doesn't believe you are who you say you are."

"Well, I care little for the opinions of Erik Selvig, my dear," he purred, turning to the page Darcy had read to her. "And as for the author…I must compliment him on his accuracy."

Jane blushed as his smile simply became more wicked, and he recited a passage. "_Extremely handsome and seductive…_how flattering!"

"Are all Aesir this full of themselves?" she asked, eliciting a stunned, but amused, laugh from Loki.

"Oh, if only you knew," he chuckled, thinking of Thor. Jane would likely be unimpressed by his mighty brother, and the thought cheered him slightly.

Their eyes met again, and his chest tightened as the golden flecks in her amber eyes seemed to crystallise and glow, drawing him in, enthralling him. Valhalla above, she was dangerous.

When he had held her in his arms…the urge to keep her there had almost been too strong to withstand.

She called to him. It was as simple as that, she called to his every atom of being, drawing him in, reluctant as he might be. He remembered her precious mind, the freshness, the power radiating from it that had puzzled him…

His gaze fell to the tesseract.

"How long have you been sleeping in here, in close proximity to the tesseract?" he asked, abruptly. He sensed her confusion but tried desperately to keep his mind where he needed it to be.

"Since Puente Antiguo was destroyed, a year ago. I have quarters of my own, but…" she shrugged. "I prefer working to sleeping. The nightmares don't come then."

"You didn't appear to have any last night," he replied, his face darkening at the thought.

"No?" Jane murmured. She didn't remember having any, actually. The first time in a long time, and the only difference was…

Her eyes met Loki's, and her heart stuttered in its rhythm again.

Trying to ignore the breathlessness accosting her, she playfully swiped the book back from the Prince. "It also says in here that you're a god of fire and air, as well as mischief. Is that true?" she asked, with genuine curiosity.

"To an extent," he replied, sighing slightly as she turned away from him. "I can manipulate the elements of fire and air, if I so wish."

"Show me!" she turned, a curious smile on her features, so childlike in its excitement that Loki laughed.

He snapped his fingers, and then spread them out, and a flame blossomed in the middle of his palm. Jane gasped, and leaned in, eyes narrowed.

"How do you do that?"

"The theory is simple enough, if one possesses the gift," he explained. "When I snap my fingers, I create a moment of friction between my two fingertips. I simply capture that spark of heat created by the gesture and manipulate it further, into a full-bodied flame."

"So the heat has to be created first, before you can manipulate it?" she asked. But before Loki could answer, one of the laptops suddenly _bleeped_, causing both Jane and Loki to snap their heads towards it.

"What is it?" he asked, joining her at the worktable, as her quick eyes roamed over the readouts. His hand grazed hers on the work surface, and he jolted as a flash of heat rippled up his arm and down his spine from the contact. From the way she tensed against him, he surmised she felt it too.

When her reply came, it was suspiciously strained. "The tesseract. It reacted when you used magic."

"Hmmm," he mused. "This only strengthens our theory that the tesseract reacts only to the presence of an Aesir."

And with that, he left Jane's side and approached the tesseract's worktable, holding up his hand. Jane's eyes widened, and she leaped around the table.

"What the hell are you doing?" she gasped, her own hand stretching out to restrain his.

"Testing a theory," he replied curtly. "If I am correct, then the tesseract will not affect me the way it did this Schmidt person."

Jane didn't know what to do, especially since she was pretty sure he could swat her aside as easily a fly. She hovered, brow tightly furrowed as Loki stretched out his hand over the tesseract.

"And if you're not correct?" she asked. Loki's mouth tightened.

"Have faith, my lady," he rebuked her softly. Jane's breath held itself, as he lowered his hand. His fingers grazed the tesseract's glowing side-

Nothing happened.

Loki's hand closed around the tesseract and he held it up, a slow smile spreading over his face. His eyes met Jane's, and she glowered.

"Say 'I told you so', and I will find a way to murder you," she huffed, folding her arms as he just chuckled.

The pair continued to work all day, although Loki replaced the tesseract at Jane's insistence.

He had felt its power, caressing his own like an old friend from the moment he touched it. It had felt _right_.

As right as holding Jane in his arms for those torturing, all too short moments.

* * *

They received occasional visits from Fury, Stark and Erik but by silent consensus, they kept the revelation of Loki's ability to touch the tesseract without being harmed, to themselves. Oddly enough, it felt too much like _**their**_ discovery, and Jane wanted to savour it for as long as possible, and find out more, before sharing it with SHIELD.

Soon enough, nightfall came, and Jane looked up from the graphs she'd been perusing to glance at the clock in the corner of the screen.

8 pm. The sun would have set by now.

Loki seemed to sense it, as he stood from his seat and looked to her, one brow raised challengingly.

"Just let me grab a jacket," she said, leading the way out of the lab. Jane smiled at Natasha and Maria as she passed them, Loki following in her wake, and tried not to react at the knowing, smirking glances they gave her in return.

She didn't know it, but to any who looked at her, she _glowed._

Jane's room was as spartan and unattractive as the lab, except the absence of equipment, the low, comforting _whirring_ hum of the tesseract and the computers, made it seem all the more colder and unwelcoming.

Apart from a bed, slightly larger than the one in Jane's lab, there was little furniture. Just a chair, a desk and a small metal chest which housed Jane's scant clothing.

Loki's gaze fell on the slightly broken frame sitting on her desk, the glass cracked and splintered. As he looked closer, he could just see two faces, one female, one male, with obvious similarities to Jane.

"Mom and Dad," Jane answered his unspoken question, a sad smile on her face as she pulled a black fleece jacket from her chest. He glanced at her, as she looked away, sliding into the soft, warm fabric silently. "They died when I was a kid. An accident. After that, Erik pretty much raised me."

"I am sorry," he murmured, low and sincere. Jane just shrugged.

"A lot of people have lost parents now," she replied. "I'm just one of many."

Loki's gaze sharpened, and he frowned as she turned back to the door without looking at him.

Hogun and Volstagg were waiting for them, when they reached the main hangar, along with Fandral and Fury.

So was Stark, already geared up in his suit, watching them closely as the pair walked towards them, so close yet so careful not to touch. Outside of the lab, their closeness seemed too…_intimate_ to either to allow it to show. Neither spoke of it, but they both felt it.

"Hogun, Volstagg! You are ready?" Loki called. The two warriors nodded, Volstagg looking slightly grumpy, which usually meant he hadn't been satisfied in the food department. Loki mentally sighed. He glanced at Fury, and then led the way towards one of the waiting vehicles. "Come, then."

"Miss Foster," Fury stopped Jane with a hand to her arm. She frowned, but it cleared when he pushed a new holster, containing a fully loaded gun, into her hand. "Just in case," he replied, squeezing her arm once before letting her go.

Loki watched them intently, his eyes lingering on the weapon. If all went well, Jane would not need that weapon, and in any case, he would not allow her to come to harm.

"Not coming to bid us farewell, Fandral?" Volstagg called as he buckled himself in, eying the blonde Aesir knowingly. He smirked, but held his hand in farewell.

"Nay," he chuckled. "I have other errands to attend to."

Loki frowned as he paused beside Stark, as Jane got into the front seat. He had given him no errands…

It dawned on Loki that this 'errand' of Fandral's might just be dark-haired and winsomely slender, and went by the name of Darcy. He sighed, but did not rebuke the other man as he slid in beside Jane.

The ride was silent, as they emerged into the cool desert air, the sky unmarred by clouds, the stars twinkling, unaffected by the chaos which daily beset the Earth. Stark flew as guard overhead, while Jane knowledgeably directed the driver. Volstagg, Hogun and Loki remained tense and alert, the former's hands never far from their weapons, their keen eyes scanning the skyline for Skrull warships or fighters.

The Bifrost site remained, albeit clear of corpses, the ancient designs scored into the dust and sand standing out even in the darkness, lit only by the moon.

Loki handed Jane from the vehicle himself, before pausing as Stark landed, and his helmet retracted. He summoned his helmet, sliding it onto his head as he had done countless times before.

Jane's eyes watched him as he did so, noting how graceful his movements were, how naturally the horned helmet fit him. It gleamed like quicksilver in the moonlight, as Hogun and Volstagg took their places on the Bifrost.

Stark snickered when he saw Loki's horns. "Dude, nice horns," he chuckled.

Loki just rolled his eyes, muttering suspiciously like "mortals!" under his breath as he stepped forward, Jane by his side, eyes wide with anticipation and excitement. Loki looked to the skies, and unshielded himself for a moment. "Are you ready?" he looked to his men, who nodded. "Give my brother my love and tell him all I have told you. In addition, tell him that we have made progress with the tesseract."

Hogun and Volstagg nodded once more, before Loki stepped back, pulling Jane with him.

"Heimdall!" he called. "Open the Bifrost!"

The air seemed to still around Jane, as her eyes rose to the skies, frowning as nothing appeared to happen. Then, clouds formed from nothing, and began to circle around their position, curling in and down, as lightning and thunder crashed in the heavens. Suddenly a great beam of light, fractured and glistening with colours, shot down from the clouds and consumed Hogun and Volstagg, enveloping them entirely. The wind sprang up, rustling Loki's cloak and Jane's hair, and as she fought to keep her eyes open, she thought she caught a glimpse of golden towers and shining skies in the gaps between the clouds.

Then it faded, and the clouds dissipated, the ground where Hogun and Volstagg had stood, now empty but for the symbols etched permanently into the rock and dust.

"Wow," Tony breathed. "Well, that is not something you see every day."

Loki grinned, as he looked to Jane, who appeared speechless. Tony laughed.

"You actually struck her speechless! Hah!" he chuckled. "You go, my friend!"

He clapped him on the shoulder, and shook his head, still chuckling even when Jane glared at him.

"Your mouth is open," he told her, laughing himself as she snapped it shut, with another glare at him. "Much better."

"You have to tell me how that works," she murmured, excitedly. He rolled his eyes, but smiled, her enthusiasm refreshing as a spring rain.

"Very well, but not here," he told her gently, glancing to the skies. "I believe we have given the Skrull and Amora enough advance warning of our location. Let's adjourn to safer surrounds."

"I second the big fella's idea," Tony nodded, his helmet sliding back into place, as he glanced towards them.

"I will take care of Miss Foster," Loki assured him. He turned to the driver, and nodded at him to go. The man drove off, seemingly relieved to be gone, as Jane looked to Loki confusedly.

The question of how they would get back to base died on Jane's lips, as he reached out an arm and pulled her to him, sliding her tightly against his chest, as she swallowed and looked up at his smouldering emerald eyes.

"Hold on," he growled, impishly, before Jane felt the earth beneath her feet fall away. With a yelp, she clung tighter to Loki, pulling her body against his.

Loki existed in a cruel mix of heaven and hell, as he felt Jane's soft weight against his body, as he rose into the air, the wind plucking at his cloak, even as Iron Man flew ahead of them.

They seemed to have decided to trust him, after all.

Jane's eyes were filled with a mix of fear and exhilaration, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Relax," he murmured. "I will not let you go."

Jane shivered at those words, as they fell into her soul. She tried her best to do as he said, holding onto him, as he picked up their speed and then they were _flying_ across the landscape, outstripping even Iron Man and the SUV down below, Jane laughing out loud as exhilaration won over fear, her inquisitive mind silenced, her heart racing, the light of the stars and the moon rushing gently over her face.

She never wanted it to end.

But it did, and as her feet touched the ground, she glanced up at Loki's dark eyes, and found herself suddenly sad.

Sad, because whatever _**this**_ was, it could never be more. After he unlocked the secrets of the tesseract, and helped them defeat Amora, he would be gone. But she was too reckless to draw back, and she might never have another opportunity to feel this…mix of _exhilaration_ and _anticipation_ and pure, dizzying, exquisite _feeling_.

She'd only known him two days, so she wasn't naïve enough to use the L word, but…

She would take what she would get. She might never have another opportunity.


	7. A Little Magic

At The Beginning

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: I saw 'Avengers Assemble' on the 26th, and I won't let slip any spoilers for those who have yet to see it, but I will say this: Loki steals the whole show, and Tom Hiddleston was absolutely brilliant. You will not be disappointed! I've already booked tickets to see it again on Monday...and on Wednesday. I'm not obsessed, honest! ;P

Chapter Playlist: 'Evacuating London' from 'Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'.

* * *

_There are no fortunes to be told, although,_

_Because I love you more than I can say,_

_If I could tell you, I would let you know._

_**- excerpt from 'If I Could Tell You' by W.H. Auden**_

* * *

The days seemed to pass quickly, after that night. Working with Loki by day and night, catching brief snatches of sleep in between whenever Jane couldn't work anymore.

A day after Hogun and Volstagg left, Hogun returned alone, briefly, to inform Loki that the King was working on discovering any more traitors within Asgard and fortifying their defences. He also returned with a stern message for Loki to keep himself out of trouble, which elicited a roll of the eyes and an exasperated grin from Loki.

Jane's life settled into a constant rhythm of working and talking with the Aesir Prince who worked beside her. They made slow, steady progress with the tesseract, theorising on ways to somehow house the tesseract so its energy could be harnessed and used without disintegrating anyone who touched it, and who wasn't an Aesir.

To Jane, that seemed the easy part. The hard part would be to keep the tesseract active in the absence of an Aesir.

That morning, they were debating that very issue.

Loki had eschewed his heavy formal armour and emerald green cloak, for black leather garments trimmed with light armour. The long overcoat which hung around his legs flared as he paced the lab, Jane sat at her usual stool, watching him and trying to stop her pulse from flaring with every movement. The black of the leather only made his hair seem darker, the luxuriant strands hanging down around his collar, making Jane's fingers literally _itch_ with the urge to touch them, and see if they were ask silky as they looked.

Loki felt Jane's unconscious scrutiny, and struggled to stop it affecting him. But that was impossible; he felt her every breath, her every movement as his own, could smell the sweet fragrance of her skin and hair, could see even the planes of her face and the gleam of her amber eyes when he closed his own. It was unsettling, especially as he knew that he still had a task to fulfil on Midgard, and he pondered the wisdom of allowing himself to feel any sort of regard for her.

But he was quickly learning that he really didn't have any choice in the matter.

"Is there any way we could find some way to duplicate the…" Jane struggled for the right word, as they debated. "Aura, for lack of a better word, you have as an Aesir?"

Loki stroked his finger along his top lip again, frowning slightly. Jane really wished he wouldn't do that, it was far too distracting for her liking. "Possibly," he conceded. "But the difficulty would be in ensuring such a duplicate would be strong enough to fool the tesseract, and in addition, how could we replicate that effect for a large group? It would likely only be doable for one person."

Loki hadn't touched the tesseract since his first attempt, but he felt its power calling to him, seductively.

But even in the vicinity of the tesseract…Jane was far more distracting. She wore her usual ensemble of a blouse, jeans and boots, but her long hair was tied back tightly in some kind of clip that morning, exposing the long, graceful line of her neck. Loki found himself eying it several times, to his frustration, wondering how her skin would taste, its softness, the warm beat of her pulse against his lips…

He frowned, and snapped away from such thoughts, forcing himself to meet Jane's eyes. Eyes that only reflected his desire.

Valhalla above, but her eyes were the greatest temptation of all.

He forced himself to continue, turning away to look at the tesseract's glowing form, the energy levels spiking once more as he drew near.

"Equally, the power of the tesseract once fully active might be too much for any material to hold," he murmured. "You told me that when the Captain fought this Schmidt person, the tesseract fell from its pedestal and _melted_ through several layers of steel, and that was while it was still mostly dormant. I doubt anything could hold it while it was fully active."

"Maybe not our metals," Jane replied. "Although I wouldn't rule out adamantium or iridium. Stark would know about that better than I do. What about Asgardian metals?"

"There are a few which might be able to bear the tesseract's power," Loki admitted. "The casket which held it before it was lost was made of a metal stronger than any in all the Nine Realms."

Just as Jane leaned forward to ask more, Erik walked in. The middle-aged mortal still looked on Loki and the Aesir with suspicion and mistrust, his face always sour when he saw Loki and Jane together.

Today was no exception.

"Fury wants you in the control room," he told Jane stiffly. He shot Loki a glare as Jane hopped off the stool, and left with just a smile for both men. He turned back to the Aesir with a determined expression.

* * *

"Come and say whatever you have come to say, Erik Selvig," Loki sighed.

"I will," Erik muttered. "Look, I still don't entirely believe that you and your friends are the Norse Gods I grew up hearing stories about, but I do know you're powerful. And Jane likes you."

Loki stared at the mortal warily, as he chuckled mirthlessly.

"Oh, I've seen the way she looks at you when you're not looking, and when you _**are**_ looking. You like her too," Erik continued, his smile fading.

Loki's face hardened coldly. "That is hardly your business, mortal."

"But it is," Erik hissed. "When her parents died, I pretty much raised that girl as my own daughter. I watched her graduate from our top universities almost without effort, and then I watched as the scientific community dismissed her theories like they were so much rubbish. I saw the hurt she hid away from the world, and I am warning you, that if you hurt her, God or not, I will find a way to make you suffer."

"I have no intention of harming Jane," Loki replied, drawing himself up, tall and imposing. "Rest assured of that, mortal."

Erik shrugged. "See that you do," he retorted, before leaving the lab without another glance. Loki watched him go, his glare piercing into the mortal's back with every step until the door closed behind him.

* * *

Later that day, Loki and Jane ventured down to the main canteen rather than stay in their lab. Jane had become ever more fractious as their hunt to find a metal which could resist the tesseract's power gained no ground, and he declared a change of scenery might be best.

That, and he wished to speak to Fandral. The tesseract, and Jane, had proven distracting, and he couldn't forget that his main task was still unfulfilled.

He doubted they would be able to harness the power of the tesseract anytime soon, and what was more, he needed to draw Amora out, and her accomplice, to get a sense of their power, together and separate.

The only problem would be the need to reveal himself, entirely, to Amora and her little friend, and _**that**_ could expedite matters too quickly. If Amora decided to attack, either his forces on Midgard, or Asgard, before the tesseract was ready, then…

He would consult with Stark as quickly as possible, not only because they needed to start testing various metals, but also to ensure he was distracted while Loki drew the enemy out. Jane too, as well as SHIELD and his own men. He needed to confront Amora alone.

SHIELD, his men and Stark would be easy. Jane….

He frowned, wondering how he could ensure she stayed out of danger, and ignorant to his plan. They had been spending so much time in each other's company, that were he to suddenly disappear, she would be the first to realise, and inform Fury and the others.

Jane left his side, and he was immediately aware of it, some part of his mind instinctively attuned to her as she rushed over to Darcy, Maria and Natasha, excitedly telling them about their progress, her voice rushing like a babbling brook.

He gestured to Fandral, sat at a long table with some other Midgardians soldiers and his own men, the men laughing happily enough at some jest. The golden-haired warrior immediately made his way over.

He saw the way Fandral glanced over in Darcy's direction as he crossed the canteen, but she did not look up from her conversation with Jane. The look of frustration that passed over Fandral's face made Loki chuckle. He knew how he felt.

"Yes, my Prince?" he didn't bother with a bow, just inclining his head slightly.

"How goes things with SHIELD, Fandral?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Do our men work well with SHIELD?"

Fandral shifted slightly. "There was some tension, at first, but they are rubbing along together quite nicely now, I feel," he replied. At Loki's request, they had been joining SHIELD on a few missions, picking off Skrull patrols and the occasional Frost Giant.

Loki's smile turned mischievous as Fandral once more glanced at Darcy. This time, she met his gaze but glanced away just as hurriedly.

"And how goes things with the radiant Lady Darcy?" he asked teasingly. Fandral sighed.

"I know not what to do, my Prince," he breathed. "She rebuffs me at every turn, and yet I am certain that she feels some element of attraction to me."

"Most women do," Loki interjected wryly. "Perhaps that is the problem. She has either heard, or guessed, your skill with women, and seeks to avoid becoming just another of your conquests."

"Are all Midgardian women this stubborn?" he asked, turning to Loki enquiringly. Loki smiled.

"Some more than others, I imagine," Loki replied, his eyes on Jane as she laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "It might simply be that Fandral the Dashing, seducer of the Nine Realms, has met his match at last."

"And I wager that Prince Loki the Cunning, Trickster and Mischief Maker of the Nine Realms, has met his match too," Fandral replied, his eyes on his old friend. Loki's jaw hardened, but he did not rebuff the accusation. Both knew the other was right.

"What shall we do?" Fandral sighed, his gaze returning to Darcy and Jane.

"Perhaps in order to win your fair maiden, you must offer more than just your body, Fandral," Loki replied dryly. "But something far more valuable and dangerous."

"Aye," his companion sighed. "I had begun to suspect that myself."

"Smart of you," Loki retorted. He noticed Jane's grimace as she drank the rather watery vegetable soup on offer that night, SHIELD's reserves of food consisting mostly of vegetables and protein bars since they didn't dare risk hunting for meat, nor was the underground bases they were forced to use conducive to raising livestock.

He smirked, and waved his hand, summoning his magic.

* * *

Darcy looked glumly down at her spoon as she dipped it in and out of the murky, brownish liquid in her bowl.

"Why did I have to fall for an alien, huh?" she grumbled, as Jane rolled her eyes and the other two women sitting with them just shook their heads ruefully. "He's funny, intelligent when he's not checking himself out in a mirror, and he is _**hot**_!"

"Then what is the problem?" Natasha sighed impatiently. "He clearly likes you, or he wouldn't follow you around the base all day like a puppy when he's not going out on patrol with Stark and the others."

"Because he's a player," she replied. "I heard some of the other Aesir talking. I like him too much for a one night stand."

"Well, you're doing the right thing not jumping into bed with him," Maria assured her. "Make him work for you. If he loses interest, then he's not worth it."

"But what if it just encourages him, make him worker harder until I give in, then he dumps me? I mean, I'm just a little human girl," Darcy sighed. "Why would he want me when I bet he's got thousands of gorgeous goddesses and Valkyries or whatever back home?"

Jane glanced over at Fandral, impeccably dashing in a dark blue tunic and leather breeches and boots, and saw his face. He looked like a little lost puppy as he gazed at Darcy's back adoringly.

Her eyes drifted sideways to the man stood next to him, imposing, majestic, powerful, his dark hair gleaming with an almost blue sheen in the harsh lighting, his green and leather clothes draping his body, drawing her eye to places it had no place being.

"I think Darcy's not the only one lovestruck by one of our guests," Natasha murmured slyly, as Maria chuckled. Darcy grinned, already cheered up as Jane tore her gaze away from Loki, blushing.

"I'm not in love with him," she protested. "I've known him for a _**week**_! You don't just fall in love in a _**week**_!"

"Maybe not," Maria shrugged. "But it's enough time for all the right ingredients to start mixing together."

"You should grab him with both hands," Darcy added in agreement. "I've seen the way he looks at you when your back is turned, and boy, if Fandral looked at me like that all the time, I'd be presenting myself on a silver platter with handcuffs! Girl power out the window!"

Jane winced, both amused and slightly horrified by Darcy's words. "Darcy, that really was _**too **_much info," she murmured, taking another bite of her soup.

She stopped. Frowned.

She glanced up to see Natasha, Maria and Darcy all pausing as they tasted the soup. It tasted like…

Chilli and tacos. Her favourite food after so many years in New Mexico.

"Am I the only one who…" she trailed off, as Natasha, Maria and Darcy all nodded, stunned.

Actually, it seemed everyone in the canteen was stunned, as they paused, looking down at their bowls, wide-eyed.

Jane tentatively took another sip, and the same spicy, warm, meaty flavour burst on her tongue, followed by the seasoned saltiness of the taco. God, it was _**heaven**_.

"What's yours' taste like?" she asked, as Darcy almost lifted the bowl up and started _**drinking**_ it.

"Like my mom's Thanksgiving dinner," she replied, a slight sadness entering her pretty face.

"Mine tastes like a sandwich from the gorgeous little shop near Central Park, d'you remember?" Maria replied, turning to Natasha. "They served the best Philly cheese steak sandwich in America!"

"I can taste eggs Benedict and ham," Natasha continued. All four women smiled and laughed, eyes wide with wonder as they drank their soup with an enthusiasm they hadn't before. When she was finished, Jane met Loki's eyes, dancing with mischief and knowing, and she knew it had been him.

After getting rid of her bowl, she slipped to his side, Fandral leaving them with a polite nod.

"What did you do?" she asked quietly. He shrugged.

"I haven't a clue what you're insinuating, my lady," he replied, charmingly while her eyes narrowed.

"Don't give me that," she retorted, determinedly. "You did something to our soup."

"It could only have been an improvement," he breathed, as Jane folded her arms. He capitulated with a wicked grin. "Very well. It's an old spell, one I learned when I was a child, to make any food taste like your favourites. Thor could never understand why I relished eating my greens quite so much at dinner."

Jane burst out laughing, as Loki shook his head ruefully, and guided her out of the canteen.


	8. Confessions In The Lab

At The Beginning

Warnings: Some minor sexual content (kissing, caressing but no intercourse), violence.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'Historic Love' from 'The Tudors Season 1'.

* * *

_There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me."_

_**- Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 31**_

_We are desire. It is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our existence. Absolutely nothing of human greatness is ever accomplished without it. Not a symphony has been written, a mountain climbed, an injustice fought, or a love sustained apart from desire. Desire fuels our search for the life we prize. Our desire, if we will listen to it, will save us from committing soul-suicide, the sacrifice of our hearts on the altar of "getting by." The same old thing is not enough. It never will be._

_**- John Eldredge**_

* * *

The dark-haired genius was working in the main hangar, testing some more improvements to his suit when Loki found him.

"Stark! When you've quite finished playing, I have something I wish to discuss with you," he called up to the hovering metal man. His face mask retracted, and he grinned down at the Asgardian Prince.

"Alright, _**Your Highness**_," he called back sarcastically. "Don't get your hair in a knot."

Loki just sighed and shook his head. He had struck up quite a friendly, if antagonistic, relationship with the mortal genius. Although his sense of humour left something to be desired.

Finally Iron Man's boots thudded into the hangar floor, and the armour fully retracted, leaving Tony in his black jumpsuit, the arc reactor glowing in his chest.

"So, what d'you need?" Tony asked, as he strode over to his work bench, littered with equipment and tools.

"Jane and I have been expanding our theories on how to harness the power of the tesseract," Loki began, folding his arms. He needed to tread carefully so he didn't alert Tony to his plans. "My main concern is that no Midgardian metal will be enough to hold the tesseract at full power."

Tony nodded, frowning. "I see your problem," he replied. "Iron probably won't be enough, steel hell no."

"Jane mentioned iridium, or adamantium," Loki offered. "Or perhaps even a combination of the two?"

Tony nodded. "Could work. The problem is getting enough. We don't have endless supplies of the stuff. We would need to test a small sample against the tesseract's power. I could probably get some in a few days."

Loki nodded.

"Meanwhile, I'll start looking at designs for this weapon," Tony muttered. "You're going to need something lightweight and easy to manoeuvre."

"Me?" he asked, his arms unfolding. Tony smirked and shook his head.

"You're good, I'll give ya that," the mortal chuckled. "But I've been glancing over your results and I'm pretty sure that the chances of recreating whatever mojo you Asgardians possess is still zilch. It just doesn't like us, and perhaps it's for the best."

"Why do you say that?" Loki asked curiously.

Tony shrugged. "Us mere mortals are pretty spectacular, well some of us anyway, but I've seen the energy readouts from the scanners testing the tesseract," he explained. "That kind of power? I'm not sure we should have it. It's too easy to use for the wrong reasons."

"The Aesir are not superior in that regard," Loki retorted.

"Nope, but you're better than us at putting something like the tesseract far beyond even your own reach," Tony replied. "Besides, I can think of a few Aesir I'd trust with that kind of power, because they know that that sort of power is not good for anyone, and shouldn't be used lightly."

Loki's eyes narrowed. "Was that a warning or a compliment?" he asked. Tony grinned, but his eyes were hard.

"You tell me."

"You may be right," he conceded, inclining his head, before he left, his black leather riding coat flaring dramatically behind him.

Tony grinned. "Now that is textbook enigmatic!" he snorted, before turning back to his work.

What else could he say? The guy was a man after his own heart.

* * *

Jane knew something was wrong.

It was just a…feeling, something she could define, a sense of unease as she walked along the corridor to her lab. She hadn't seen Loki all day, Tony was busy designing and testing materials to house the tesseract, Fandral and the other Aesir were off base, with Steve, Natasha and Clint.

Something was just…wrong.

She couldn't help but notice that everyone was busy, and Loki was missing.

Jane rarely believed in instinct being a solid basis for a conclusion. All she had was circumstantial evidence but…

Loki had been growing restless all week, she'd noticed that. How much more impatient he was getting when their research into the tesseract didn't give the results they needed, how silent he'd become when their work had been filled with banter.

She supposed that the constant barrage of reports of more casualties, more atrocities committed by Amora and her accomplice, more innocents dying needlessly, was beginning to affect even him.

She sighed and wondered when all that horrifying information had stopped affecting her so much anymore. She didn't even feel horror anymore, just…numb.

* * *

Loki stood in the lab, in front of the tesseract, his hands clasped behind his back. He closed his eyes, feeling a deep, inner peace fill him as he retreated into the place deep inside him where his magic dwelt.

He inhaled, drawing in oxygen to his lungs, tasting the slightly stale, recycled air of the lab, and the rose fragrance of the woman approaching the lab, her mind pulling him in, as hypnotising and seductive as the tesseract.

Jane.

He had to be quick.

He exhaled, and with the action, he gathered to him the tendrils of his magic, and cast them away from him, searching, probing.

Except this time, his power was augmented by that of the tesseract.

He saw with greater clarity, but not with his eyes and a deeper, broader sense than mere vision.

He found Amora's power, hunching like a dark, brooding shadow over the Earth, except she seemed somehow…diminished.

And the other…was only growing.

Unconsciously, Loki's brow quirked as he saw it, and wondered if Amora knew that her little friend was siphoning power from her like a leech.

But now he had them, and this time, he didn't even bother to attempt to shield himself.

_Hello, ladies…_

And with that anticipatory thought, he retreated, pulling his power back within him, calling his magic back, as feelings of unease and fear suddenly fed into his consciousness.

But they weren't his. Amora knew he was here now, and soon, he would meet her.

Soon.

* * *

The door to the lab _swished_ open, and Jane rushed through, her hair in disarray and her amber eyes wide.

She took one look at him and her suspicions were confirmed.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she breathed, stepping forward. His eyes met hers, and he turned to face her, his body cast into shadow by the glow of the tesseract. "And I don't think it's to go back to Asgard."

"This has to be done," Loki replied. "I have to confront Amora."

"Why? The tesseract isn't near ready, and if you do go out there, you're likely to get yourself killed!" Jane snapped. "You did it on purpose, didn't you? You made sure everyone who could have helped you, or interfered, was out of the way before you slipped off."

"Jane," Loki sighed. "I'm an Aesir, not some weakling mortal that can be stepped on like an ant. None of the others would help in this instance, they would only hinder."

Stung by his words, Jane's anger rose. "You and your stupid, ill-founded superiority! I've seen what Amora and her friend has done! I've watched as she slaughtered thousands of innocent people," with each word, she took a step forward until she was almost nose to nose with Loki. Or rather nose to chest plate. "You might think you're oh so mighty and wonderful compared to us 'mere, pathetic mortals' but you're a bloody idiot if you think you can take Amora alone!"

Eventually Jane paused, her chest heaving, as she looked up into Loki's burning emerald eyes.

"I do not pretend to understand your suffering," he began, every word tightly controlled, fraught with some underlying tension Jane felt rise in her own body. "But is the truth. Amora is a sorcereress, and I am the only person currently on Midgard who has the power to deal with her. This is not pride, or vanity, just logic. Now step aside."

"No." Jane replied stubbornly, taking a step back but still blocking his way. "You are not putting yourself, and everyone on Earth at risk, not for this."

Loki chuckled mirthlessly, and shook his head. "Do you really think you can stop me?" he asked softly, his voice low, dangerous. Jane felt the familiar shivers start, but refused to give in to them.

"If I have to," she replied, already turning for the door. She locked it, just before Loki reached her, grabbing her earpiece before she could activate it, and throwing it aside. He spun her around, pinning her against the door, looking down on her darkly.

Jane swallowed, as he bent his head, his warm, musky breath washing over her face, making her dizzy.

"A locked door will not stop me, Jane," he snarled. Jane almost wanted to melt at the burning fire in those deep eyes, his body surrounding her, pinning her effectively even while he wasn't touching her.

"And trying to intimidate me will not work either," she retorted defiantly. And it didn't, not in the way she thought Loki intended. Instead, her heart was pounding even harder, and her entire body was afire.

She recognised it for what it was, and accepted it. Desire. Pure and simple.

Like an equation: attraction + fascination + continued proximity = desire.

But even desire was simply part of a greater whole, and that whole frightened Jane, but nearly so much as the idea of Loki going off to confront Amora alone, unaided and unmarked.

And he was right, nothing she could do would stop him, a God, a Prince of the Aesir. It made her desperate, and desperation gave her courage.

"I care for you too much to see you walk out that door on a suicide mission," she declared, her eyes fogging as she watched his own widen with surprise. "And if you won't let the others help, at least let me come. I might be able to do something."

"Don't be stupid, Jane," Loki growled, his shock fading as her words sank in. She cared for him. She _**cared**_ for him. And that notion made his tongue looser than it would have been ordinarily, but Loki didn't care. At the back of his mind, he feared that Jane might try to follow him, and he now thought for a way to keep her safely out of harm's way without involving Fury, or the others. "I will not allow you."

"Screw what you will or will not _**allow**_ me to do!" Jane snapped, and his fists clenched. In an act of pure frustration, he slammed them against the door either side of her shoulders, his jaw clenched as he glared down at his little mortal.

She didn't even flinch, just glared back at him with equal intensity, equal determination.

His match, his equal.

"You're the most obstinate, meddling, insufferable, foolish woman I have ever encountered," he breathed, as she didn't move in the gap between his arms, pressed against the cold metal of the door.

"Look in the mirror, you arrogant pig!" she replied, as he growled again in pure frustration.

"My, we are rushing between extremes today, aren't we?" he retorted as Jane's lovely eyes narrowed.

"Sorry for being human and caring," she snapped.

"_**DON'T!"**_ he growled, sharp and anguished as a whiplash. Jane met his eyes, saw them soften. "Don't apologise for that. Never that."

He confused her. One moment he acted like humanity was nothing more than an insect under his boot heel, the next…

His next words were stilted, awkward, as cautious as hers had been unthinking and desperate.

"I care for you. _**Too **_much," he murmured. Jane felt everything still, their world narrowing down to this tiny bubble, as her very breath suspended in her body, as she stood there, waiting.

Loki's eyes dropped to Jane's lips, soft, pink and utterly inviting. He bent his head, and she met his, their lips brushing together in an achingly incomplete, chaste caress, more a whisper of desire than a kiss.

Jane shuddered, her entire body now burning from that one kiss, her mind spinning. She met his eyes, emerald flames shimmering in his eyes, as she met the questioning look in them, and her gaze dropped back to his lips.

Their next kiss was not to be so innocent.

Jane's lips met his with all the fire of a desire awakened and tasted, and she wanted more. His lips pressed deeply into hers, his mouth hungry, possessive as he gathered her to him, his strong, lean arms encaging her. Jane didn't care, pushing herself hard against him, draping her arms around his neck, standing on the tips of her toes to get closer. With a breathless sigh into their joined mouths, Jane buried her hands into his hair, relishing the silken mass, her fingers mindlessly playing with it as he moaned, and his kiss only intensified.

His arms tightened around her waist, and she instinctively leapt up and into his arms, letting him take her weight as he manoeuvred them away from the door.

She was blind and deaf to anything but him, only conscious of the driving _**need**_ he was eliciting in her, and even their argument had been wiped from her mind as he lowered her onto her cot, coming over her, breaking the kiss.

Jane met his eyes, pressed beneath him, and smiled. Loki's heart simultaneously broke and leapt at that smile, as he kissed her again, needing more of her mouth, of her tongue, of her seductive fire.

Jane parted their lips just enough to pull her sweater over her head, tossing it away carelessly, and Loki finally knew the taste of Jane's skin as he pressed his lips to her throat, Jane's hands buried in his hair, her yearning body arching against his. He had never felt such desire as this, and he struggled to remain composed, to remember his purpose, as Jane's soft cries filled the air as his hands, entirely without his permission, slid beneath the soft, worn fabric of her vest, resting in the curve of her waist.

Ignoring the call of her body, and his, Loki returned to Jane's lips, distracting her, and reached for his magic.

It came readily, never more willing to answer his call than now, as he deftly weaved a simple sleeping spell around her, so slowly her kisses became clumsier, gentler, her hands ceased their insistent pushing and tugging of his tunic and coat, as he lifted his head and met her suspicious eyes.

"You…" she gasped, her lids fluttering even as she fought it, her body relaxing beneath his.

"Don't fight it, love," he breathed, brushing a kiss against her smooth forehead, inhaling the scent of her hair as deeply as he could. "Forgive me."

Jane eventually lost the battle, her mind sunk deep in a warm, lazy fog, as sensation faded and darkness crept in. She was barely aware of Loki's lips pressing against her forehead, of his whispered plea for forgiveness.

She eventually surrendered, and let the sleeping spell pull her under.

Loki felt it, felt her succumb and slowly sat up from his position lying atop Jane, forcing himself to stand. With an elegant gesture, his leather garb changed, gleaming gold and silver replacing polished leather, crisscrossing his chest, reaching up high onto his collar. His helmet appeared on his head, a welcome, heavy weight.

It reminded him who he was and what he had to do.

Feeling the familiar heaviness of the emerald cloak, he closed his eyes, drawing on all his reserves of strength as he opened them again, looking down at Jane in slumber, a state he had seen her in many times, but none of them quite like this.

Her hair was deliciously ruffled, falling over her face in disordered grace, her skin still flushed, her lips swollen by their joint, unleashed passion. Even now, there was a kind of gravity pulling him back to her.

With a sigh, he pulled the blanket up and over her body, shutting out his desires, as she moved slightly under his hand. He paused, and then sat on the edge of the cot.

He had to go. He could not linger.

He bent his head just once more, brushing her lips with his, feeling the warmth he had come to desire so greatly pressed against him once more.

And then he was gone, the lab silenced except for the _**whirr**_ of the tesseract and the gentle breathing of a slumbering woman.


	9. Pride Comes Before A Fall

At The Beginning

Warnings: Violence, some minor language.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'We're In This Together Now' by Nine Inch Nails and 'Moving Mountains' by Two Steps From Hell.

* * *

_"Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall."_

_**- Proverbs 16:18**_

* * *

_Outside SHIELD base, New Mexico_

Loki left the SHIELD base, cloaking himself in shadows so no one marked his disappearance. He could have left a double behind, instead of enchanting Jane and distracting everyone, but the energy needed to maintain it from a great distance…

Loki was certain he would need all of his energy tonight.

Outside the base, the night sky was clear, the unfamiliar constellations of Midgard shining brightly for all to see, untouched and untouchable by everything happening below. The desert winds plucked at the edges of his cloak, ruffling the ends of his hair that slipped under his helmet.

Making sure his shield was still intact, Loki unobtrusively sought out that Amora again, sending just a little tendril her way.

Bait.

Next part was the trickiest part. He would not have them anywhere near SHIELD or Jane, so he needed to lure them somewhere farther away. He flinched away from thoughts of the woman he had left asleep in her lab. No doubt, she would be unforgiving when he returned.

Although…he had a few notions of how to make it up to her. The devilish grin flared and faded from his austerely handsome face, as he forced such thoughts away. They were for another time.

He made sure to cloak himself once more, so Heimdall could not see or hear him. No need for the Gatekeeper to know about his little back doors between Realms.

Nor the paths which allowed him to travel instantaneously within the Realms.

He closed his eyes and stepped forward, into the ether, disappearing from sight.

* * *

_SHIELD base, New Mexico_

Tony hurried along the corridor leading to Jane's lab, a file clutched close in his hand. The trial diagnoses he had run, using the combined chemical base code that a combination of iridium and adamantium would create, while accounting for stresses caused by the power of the tesseract, had all looked promising.

They actually had a shot of turning the tesseract into a weapon.

Loki wasn't answering on the earpiece Fury had insisted he wear at all times, and neither was Jane. Probably too busy arguing, or something else…

Tony wasn't sure if the thought horrified or amused him. All he knew was that it had taken them long enough.

But when he walked in the lab, it was empty and quiet.

Tony frowned. He laid the file on a work bench, and then noticed the corner of a blanket poking out from behind another table. He grinned, inching forward, hoping that he wouldn't find….well….

But when he dared to poke his head around the table, he found just Jane, asleep. Fully clothed at that.

"Hey," he called gently, thinking how sweet she looked when she was asleep, and how peaceful. It made a change. "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!"

Jane stirred, frowning, then her eyes fluttered open. "Hey…Tony," she muttered. "What you doin' here?"

"His Highness asked me to come up with some combination of metals for the tesseract-" Tony started, before he frowned. "Speaking of which, where is the old stiff?"

Jane frowned, her hand rising to her lips, making Tony mentally snicker. Then her eyes widened. "Oh God! He's gone!"

"Whoa, wait, what!" Tony gasped, as Jane sat bolt upright, and leapt from the cot. "Calm down there, Janie."

"He's gone! He went off to confront Amora!" she told him, searching for her earpiece. "We need to tell Fury, and get the others back here now!"

Tony shook his head. "Oh crap," his face paled, but then he frowned as his eyes darted between the bed and Jane. "Wait, how did-?"

Jane went the approximate colour of a tomato, and rushed from the lab. "Don't even ask, Tony!"

Despite the worry now clawing at his arc reactor, Tony couldn't help a chuckle. "Loki, I always knew you had it in you!"

* * *

_Somewhere in the Himalayas, Midgard._

When Loki stepped out from the pathway, he was stood on a desolate plateau, surrounded by mountains. The ground beneath his feet was dusty and rocky, with scrubby plants defiantly hanging on to life, the sky overhead now obscured by clouds, snow whirling around his form.

He casually strolled into the centre of the plateau, his hands clasped behind his back.

A grim, albeit wicked, grin lit his features, as he unshielded his magic, essentially lighting up the ether with his power like a beacon. "Well, ladies, come and get me."

* * *

_SHIELD base, New Mexico_

"I understand your concern, Miss Foster, but Loki has disappeared from the base, and is currently untraceable," Fury sighed, fighting for patience as the young scientist paced up and down his control room. "We have no way of finding him."

They were stood on the central platform, Maria Hill, Natasha, Tony, Jane, Fury, Erik and Darcy, the others watching worriedly while Jane frantically paced.

"Get Fandral on the comms," Tony replied. "He might be able to help."

"We already have," Hill stepped forward, unfolding her arms. "He's told us he has no knowledge of Loki's intentions, or how he might have disappeared."

"Of course he wouldn't!" Jane snapped sarcastically, throwing her hands up. "There must be some way of tracking him. He has magic for God's sake! There must be some way of tracing the energy signatures left behind…"

Erik stepped forward to try and comfort her, but she shrugged off his hand. He sighed. "Jane, he's a big boy. I'm sure he can take care of himself," he tried soothingly.

"But that's just _**IT**_!" she snapped, turning on him. Behind him Darcy stood half in shadow, but even Jane could see the worry in her eyes. "He's going up against Amora _**and**_ this other one. We've seen what they can do, and he's going after them alone!"

"Wait," Tony suddenly interjected, prompting Jane to look to him. "If Loki's magic leaves an energy signature, similar to that of the tesseract, then…"

"You mean we could use one of the sensors?" Jane replied, her frown easing as hope dawned. "We could find him."

"Theoretically speaking," he agreed. "As soon as he uses his magic."

They looked to Fury, implacable in his dark leathers, his one eye watching them darkly.

"Do it," he replied. As Jane rushed away, Darcy, Erik and Natasha at her heels, Tony lingered. Fury nodded. "I'll put a call in to Clint and Steve. When Loki shows himself…suit up."

"You betcha," Tony grinned, before turning and following the others back to the lab.

* * *

_The Himalayas_

The wind ruffled Loki's dark hair, as he waited, at ease, eyes closed.

He smiled when he felt their magical presence loom, ever larger and darker in his mind.

And then…

They were here.

"Amora," he breathed. "It has been far too long."

He turned, to see two women before him, both beautiful, both watching him guardedly.

Amora was a typically tall Asgardian beauty, with fair hair that fell down her back in untamed waves, her lithe form swathed in diaphanous cream silk edged with white furs, the pendant of Mjolnir around her neck. Her eyes, sapphire blue, scornful but still afraid, watched him while a sneer drifted on her plump lips.

"Why, my Prince," she called mockingly. "This is a pleasure."

"All mine, I assure you," he purred, enjoying her obvious discomfort at his nonchalant words. His gaze fell to the young, in comparison demure, young woman stood slightly behind the Asgardian. "And who is your enchanting companion?"

The sorceress was small, indeed barely taller than Jane, with long straight mahogany hair draping her shoulders, down to her hips. Unlike Amora's luxurious robes, she wore a simple, brown crushed velvet gown, decorated with gold on the bodice, the sleeves starting from the neckline, so the creamy, elegant rise of her shoulders, collarbone and neck were visible. Deep brown eyes watched him, intrigued and yet unafraid, a slightly lascivious gleam in their depths as she raked his form.

More fool her.

Amora knew to fear him. This mortal would learn to do so as well, before the night was through.

"I am the Lady Morgana le Fey," she answered for Amora, her voice husky, strong unlike Amora's girlish titter. A cruel smirk lifted her thin lips, transforming her face.

"My dear little pet and helpmate," Amora added, smirking a tad superiorly, missing Morgana's scornful glance.

She was seductive, controlled power seeping from her in waves as she joined Amora's side. Loki felt that power, that darkness and inwardly shook his head. Amora was a fool.

"And to what do we owe your visit, oh great Prince of Asgard?" she asked, in her throaty, sensuous voice. When she walked, her gait was like a tiger's, liquid and powerful.

"There have been some troubling events of late, my ladies," Loki began, clasping his hands behind his back and circling them. "Asgard attacked, Frost Giants allying with the Skrull, Midgard overrun. Naturally, the All-Father and my brother are concerned."

"Ahh, yes," Morgana laughed, throwing her head back. "The famous Thor. Amora told me all about him."

"Did she now?" Loki smiled wolfishly. "Incidentally, I am here by my brother's wish. You have invaded a Realm under the protection of Asgard."

"Bah!" Amora scoffed. "Asgard has no interest in Earth and its primitive little apes. Unless, of course, Thor wishes an alliance with its new ruler?"

Loki's laugh was cold and cruel, as he stepped close to Amora. "Do not flatter yourself, Amora," he chuckled. "Thor has no, and never has had, need of you. He is wed to the Lady Sif, three months past."

Amora's face darkened, and her fists clenched. Loki just looked bored, noting a similar expression on Morgana's face.

"I should have killed her when I had the chance," she growled. Loki laughed mirthlessly.

"You did have the chance," he growled. "You failed, and now Sif is his Queen. My condolences and all that."

Amora snarled, her hand coming up, the long nails forming claws but Loki did not flinch. Morgana grabbed her wrist. "Amora!" she barked. "This is childish."

Loki ignored the pair of them, turning away, his cloak sweeping the dust majestically. "I did not come here just to bait _**you**_, my lady Amora," he murmured, his voice turning low, dangerous. "I have come to issue a warning. Leave Midgard and take your allies with you."

"Or what?" Amora laughed.

"Or I will destroy you both, without pity," he replied coldly. "You know the power I possess."

Amora snorted. "Hah! You, the Cunning Prince, the Silvertongue? The pathetic, mewling pup ever in the mighty Thor's shadow?" she stepped forward, her face almost repulsive now in its vindictive cruelty. "You are nothing without the might of Mjolnir, without Thor. I need not fear you, or your threats!"

Loki's face didn't even harden. "Is that really the best you can do?" he sighed, almost disappointedly.

Amora snarled. "We are done here!"

Loki's smile turned dangerous. "If you insist," and he snapped his fingers, disappearing as the double wavered.

* * *

_SHIELD base, New Mexico._

The screen of the laptop connected to the scanner all but lit up, over the Himalayas, as Jane almost leapt into the air.

"Yes! We got him!" she yelled, bringing Tony and the others to her side. "He's in the Himalayas, co-ordinates-"

"Never mind that," Tony shoved her aside impatiently, fingers flying over the keyboard. "I'll patch it through to the jet," he turned away, touching his earpiece. "Director, we got him."

"_Then suit up and bring him back!"_ Fury's voice came over the comms system, as Jane's heart clenched in a desperate surge of hope. She turned and followed Tony out the room, Darcy and Erik at her back.

In the hangar, Fury stood waiting beside a jet with Hill, Natasha, Clint, Steve and Fandral, the latter's silver armour gleaming in the harsh lighting.

Tony marched towards them, his red and silver armour gleaming, his helmet temporarily retracted.

"Alright people," Fury turned to the assembled men and women. "Here's the plan. Simple extraction, we go in, we get Loki, we get out. We do not want to hang around any longer than we need to."

"Understood, sir," Steve nodded, already hefting his shield. "Tony, you go in from the air, scope out the area and any enemies. Natasha, you're on the guns, Clint you pilot. Fandral?"

The golden haired Aesir stepped forward expectantly. Steve smiled. "We kick some ass."

"I take it that is some Midgardian phrase for routing the enemy?" Fandral asking laughingly. "If so, I like it."

"Ok, move out," Fury stepped back. "We'll monitor Loki's position and any intercepting Skrull. Good luck."

"Don't expect me to salute," Tony quipped, his helmet sliding into place. As he went to step onboard the aircraft, Jane grabbed his arm.

She would probably rue these words until the end of her days, and give Stark endless ammo to tease her with for those days, but she didn't care. "Bring him back to me," she breathed. She couldn't tell what his face looked like behind the mask but…

He patted her hand. "I promise I'll do my best," he murmured through the mask, stepping away. "Oh, and make sure to invite me to the wedding!"

Jane rolled her eyes and stepped back, her cheeks flushing, but when she turned around, she saw something to make her blush even more.

Darcy was standing with Fandral, glaring up at him almost accusingly. "You'd better come back, you hear that alien boy? I want this armour back in one piece," she growled, her eyes narrowed behind her glasses. Fandral just grinned.

"I knew you wanted me," he murmured. Darcy rolled her eyes.

"Shut up!" she hissed, reaching up and taking hold of a fold of his cloak, yanking him down and kissing him squarely on the lips. A moment later, she pushed him away. "Now get going before I kick your ass!"

"Yes, my lady," Fandral laughed, bowing and hurrying away, his hair mussed and awry, his breathing flushed.

"Oooh, do I get a kiss?" Tony called tauntingly, as everyone laughed.

"Alright, show's over!" Fury barked. "Get going!"

Darcy joined Jane as they stood back, watching as the jet's engines fired, lifting it into the air, sleek, deadly and silent. The roof opened, and then it was gone.

* * *

_The Himalayas_

Loki gathered his power, holding his hands palm up, emerald green fire beginning to lick along the edges of his fingers. With a wolfish grin at the two women, he snapped his fingers out and towards them, throwing a wall of green fire towards them.

He saw their shield spring up just in time, as he smiled.

Then it faded. He was forced to throw up a shield of his own, as Amora spun with a snarl, flinging her arm out towards him with a roar of rage, sending a wave of elemental energy flying towards him.

Loki released the shield as it hit, letting the concussive wave throw him backwards, but he manipulated the air beneath him, righting himself and hovering above the two sorcereresses.

"I'm afraid you will have to do much better than that," he drawled, and Amora's eyes widened as he drew in all that concussive energy she had unleashed and turned it back on her and Morgana.

Amora was thrown back against the mountain walls, but Morgana simply smiled and disappeared.

She could create doubles…

Loki smiled just before a wall of pure magical energy collided with his back, and he was flung to the floor. He skidded along the ground, leaving a smoking dent, wincing as he felt several sharp rock fragments penetrate his armour, digging into his back.

That would leave a mark.

He hastily flung up a shield as Morgana threw daggers of ice at him, the deadly points thudding against his magical shield as he forced himself to his feet, his back throbbing.

He felt a ripple in the air behind him, and he barely had time to brace himself before Amora's attack threw him to the floor once more.

He stayed on his back, as Amora and Morgana walked over to him, looming over him like birds of prey, a wild, triumphant smile on Amora's exquisite features. Morgana's were almost…disappointed.

"And so the great Loki is brought down," Amora hissed. "Not so powerful after all, are you? Not before the might of Amora!"

Loki chuckled, his eyes lifting to a point over their heads.

"My dear, I really think you should reconsider that statement," he replied.

"Why? You are defeated, Liesmith," Amora replied. Loki just laughed. "WHAT IS IT!"

At her uncontrolled shout, Loki's laugh only intensified. "There's an old Midgardian saying: Pride comes before a fall," he growled, his smile fading as the SHIELD jet rose over the mountains, hovering over Amora and Morgana. "You should have brought some friends."

Amora and Morgana spun, heads craning up to see, as Iron Man flung himself from the back of the aircraft, concussive blasts already raining down from the repulsors on his hands.

Loki rolled and brought himself up on his feet, even as two more figures jumped from the open hatch and landed either side of him.

Fandral and Captain America.

"Why, Lady Amora," Fandral's grin was steely as he drew his sabre. "How incredibly awful to see you after all these centuries."

Steve didn't bother with pleasantries, just threw his shield at Morgana, who smiled and vanished. Amora whipped up a wave of air, but was blasted sideways by one of Tony's cannons.

Fandral pulled Loki towards the jet, forcing him to lean on one shoulder, Steve and Iron Man keeping Amora and Morgan at bay as they attacked.

The jet circled around until it hovered just in front of a small outcropping, the edge teetering off into darkness. Loki gathered his strength and jumped, his jaw tensing as the movement sent waves of pain through his back and ribs, but he landed, Fandral behind him.

"Tony! Steve!" Fandral barked, and Loki glimpsed the two Avengers retreating, as Iron Man caught Steve's arm and propelled them both into the air as Morgana threw a wall of ice towards them.

They flung themselves into the back of the jet, and Clint hit the thrusters, speeding them away.

The mask retracted, as Loki stared up into Tony's half-amused, half-glowering face, hair slicked with sweat.

"You go off to a party, and you don't invite us," he shook his head sadly. Loki laughed, although it did hurt.

"Forgive me, my friend," he coughed. "I needed to confront them alone, draw them out of their lair."

Tony frowned, as Fandral pulled down a first aid kit. "You were testing their strengths?" the warrior asked, prompting Loki to sit up.

"And their weaknesses," Loki replied. "Amora, for all her arrogance, is diminished. I rather suspect that her accomplice, Morgana, has been siphoning power from her for some time."

"A double cross?" Tony's brows rose.

"And the other woman? Morgana?" Natasha detached herself from the gunner's seat, spinning to face the Aesir, frowning. "What was her full name again?"

"Morgana le Fey."

"The Arthurian legend?" Natasha scoffed. "At least it's an ID. I'll get onto comms and tell Fury we're clear and our latest intel."

Tony nodded, as Loki tiredly waved away his armour, letting Fandral pull apart the sides of his tunic, wincing at the bruises there.

"Oh, Jane is going to kill me!" he groaned, burying his head in his hands, several chuckles echoing throughout the jet.

* * *

_The Himalayas_

Morgana looked up at the sky, as the SHIELD jet's engines flared red before it glided away, the wind of its passage ruffling her hair.

As Amora fretted and frothed behind her, at having the Silvertongue Prince in their grasp and at their mercy, she mentally rolled her eyes with scorn.

The foolish child.

No, Loki had not been at their mercy…there was more to him than met the eye, and darkness within him that could prove useful.

And he was in a position to give them the tesseract, one way or another.

Morgana smiled.

She would be seeing the Silvertongue very, very soon.


	10. The Courage To Love

At The Beginning

Warnings: Sexual content (nothing too explicit).

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'You're Alive' from 'Twilight: New Moon Original Movie Score', 'Red Ledger' from 'Avengers Assemble' and 'Across The Stars' from 'Star Wars: The Attack Of The Clones'.

* * *

_We are afraid to care too much; for fear that the other person does not care at all. _

_**- Eleanor Roosevelt**_

"_Never be ashamed of your love," he said gently. "The only thing to be ashamed of is denying your love." _

_**- The Riddle, Alison Croggon **_

"_To love is never wrong. It may be disastrous; it may never be possible; it may be the deepest agony. But it is never wrong." _

_**- The Singing, Alison Croggon**_

* * *

The SHIELD jet landed with a metallic _clang_, jolting all its passengers. Loki felt an odd sense of trepidation rising in his chest, a feeling he had never really felt before.

Not even during all those years of attempting to please his father had he felt such an odd feeling…

He still felt pain as he stood from his seat, his back and chest aching with every movement. Morgana possessed quite a sting to her magical blows.

He was reasonably sure his skin was lacerated, but his Asgardian physiology would soon take care of that.

Although, as he walked down the loading ramp behind the Avengers and Fandral, he wondered if it might soon have more injuries to take care of, if the look on Jane's face was anything to judge by.

Inwardly Loki frowned. The sleep spell he'd enchanted her with shouldn't have been so easy for her to throw off. A couple of rampaging _bilshtipe _wouldn't have been enough to rouse her, let alone Tony Stark, so how…?

Then he recalled one of the many reasons why he'd wanted her as far away from Morgana and Amora as possible. Her mind.

He was not certain, but he suspected that spending so much time in the proximity of the tesseract, exceedingly close proximity at that with her sleeping and working within mere feet of it for over a year, it had changed her. Altered her DNA, enhanced her mind so it stood out so jarringly from everyone else…Loki didn't know what she was becoming, but he wondered.

And the fact that when he met her eyes, and his own heart pounded, was all the more reason to ensure Amora and Morgan never laid eyes, or hands, on her again.

"Jane," he breathed, holding his hands up, soothingly, but she just ignored him, glaring right at him as she stopped in front of him, arms crossed. Fury radiated from her, her eyes burning, her mouth a thin, sharp line.

Desire sparked through him, sharp and hot, but he sensed he had rather a lot of explaining, and placating, to do before she would allow him to touch her.

"Are you hurt?" she demanded tersely. He drew himself up, affronted by her tone, and bristled even as he winced when his back twinged.

"Somewhat," he replied curtly. "Nothing I cannot heal on my own."

He spotted the look of fear in her eyes when he admitted to being hurt, and the pain, and ached to reach out and hold her, to feel her slender body in his arms, flush against his own, his irritation fading as quickly as it had flared.

"Jane…" he breathed, reaching out a hand.

"Well, as touching as this reunion is," Fury stepped forward. "I need to debrief you-"

"Oh shut up, Nick," Jane suddenly snapped, the anger flooding back into her eyes as she glanced at the stunned director. Everyone was watching them intently, some with amusement like Tony, others with shock like Steve, and even more with complete confusion. Jane hooked her hand around Loki's arm, and turned away. "You are coming with me," she told him dictatorially. "And if you so much as make a sound, so help me Loki, I will set Natasha on you!"

The red-haired assassin sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm not a dog, Jane," she murmured, knowing that the brunette had no interest in setting her on anyone. If anything, she rather suspected Jane was more than capable of handling Loki herself.

Fury called out to the retreating pair, but they ignored them as everyone just chuckled. Tony, of course, had to get his two cents in.

"I'd give them some time, Director," he called, as his suit retracted. "Like a day or so. You know, to straighten things out."

"What could they possibly have to talk about that would take a day to 'straighten out', Stark?" the director demanded. Tony's eyes gleamed wickedly, even as he gave his best 'Seriously?' face.

The man couldn't be that blind…

Fury stalked away with Natasha and Maria by his side, muttering to himself, the two women smirking privately to themselves, Natasha making a mental note to find a 'Do Not Disturb' sign from somewhere and pin it on Jane's door. Tony wasn't the only one with a mischievous streak.

* * *

Raised voices reached Tony's ears, and he turned to witness Darcy arguing heatedly with Fandral, the latter almost chasing her around a workbench in Tony's corner of the hangar.

"It was heat of the moment!" Darcy was protesting. Weakly.

Fandral's handsome, dust marred face hardened as he eyed his prey, unaware of the still assembled Avengers and personnel.

"If I recall correctly, my lady," he snarled. "You told me to return to you, and then kissed me to seal that demand. If that is not declaration of a lady's preference, then I am a _bilshtipe_."

"Hey, I got two words for you!" she replied, stopping her flight to glare at Fandral, safely on the other side of the workbench, as she put her hands on her hips. "No tongue."

Oh this was hilarious! Tony wished he'd brought popcorn. He'd have to tell Pepper about it later tonight.

Fandral's gaze was determined, as he took one step, vaulted the workbench, wrecking it in the process and landed right beside Darcy, hauling her into his arms. "Well," he growled, as the girl struggled slightly, her hands fisted on his breastplate. "We'll have to remedy that."

And he kissed her. It was the sort of kiss that made Tony both flush and fidget awkwardly. Darcy melted into Fandral's arms, kissing him back as exuberantly as the Aesir, hooking her arms around his neck and delving her hands into his luxuriant golden hair.

As Tony glanced around, he felt amusement well at the shocked looks of the other people in the hangar. As if Jane and Loki had not been enough, now they were being treated to a live show!

Steve's face was priceless.

As he met Clint's laughing eyes, he grinned. Oh, he was never going to let Jane and Darcy forget this. Ever.

"Hey guys!" he called out to the embracing pair. "You might want to try taking this someplace else. Like a room, or I don't know, a _**bedroom**_?"

The pair apparently ignored him, still kissing feverishly. He stared.

Shouldn't they need to breathe by now?

Then Fandral bent, without breaking the kiss, and swept Darcy into his arms, holding her close as he walked out of the hangar, deaf and blind to all the whoops and applause from the men.

Tony snickered. Oh, the next few weeks were going to be fun.

And who said Loki had a monopoly on mischief making?

* * *

Loki wisely remained silent as Jane dragged him down the corridors of the base, or rather he allowed her to. Jane was under no illusion that he could stop her if he wanted to.

The medical bay was empty of patients when she pulled him inside, but there were still medical staff waiting for them.

"Miss Foster? What have we got here?" one of them, the chief medical officer, began to ask, but Jane waved him away.

"I need water, iodine, cleaning buds, and possibly a needle and thread," she snapped at the nurses. "Now!"

"Miss Foster-" the medical officer tried again, but when her furious eyes snapped to him, he backed down. No one had seen the usually friendly little astrophysicist quite so enraged before. You could feel it rolling off of her in waves.

The nurses gave her what she needed, as she pushed Loki back onto a bed in one of the cubicles.

She stood, facing the curtain of the cubicle after she had slammed it closed, her hands trembling with all of the anger suppressed inside of her.

Anger, desperate fear, relief, hurt, need…

"Jane…" he breathed from behind her, and she fought back a shiver at that voice, that tone. Soft, gentle, almost…loving.

No, he didn't love her, and she didn't love him. She couldn't love him, because she knew that if she did, and he did not…

It would destroy her.

Jane was an independent sort. She didn't like men telling her what to do simply because they were male; she didn't believe in loving someone enough that their loss or abandonment could destroy you.

Until Loki. Damn it, she wasn't some sort of weak little damsel from a teenager's novel, or a romantic comedy. She barely knew him!

Fear made her tense when she felt his heat press against her back, the unspoken command to turn in his gaze.

"Jane," he murmured. "Look at me."

She refused to turn around, wondered if he would force her to.

No, what he did was far harder to resist. She tensed as hard, strong arms slid around her waist, and she felt him tuck his face into the curve of her neck and shoulder.

"Forgive me, Jane," he whispered.

"What exactly are you asking forgiveness for?" she asked, her voice strangled, almost breathless.

"I cannot ask forgiveness for my action in seeking out Amora and Morgana," he replied steadily. "Nor can I ask forgiveness for ensuring you remained out of danger. Like I said, I care for you. Too much."

"You're the God of Lies in Norse Mythology. Why should I believe a word you say?" Jane snapped, fear once again making her lash out.

"If I told you I placed that spell on you, to prevent Morgana and Amora discovering you, would you believe that?" he asked in retort. Frowning, now totally confused, Jane turned to face him, dark hair dishevelled, pale face marred by the occasional cut, emerald eyes blazing.

The feelings from the lab came back with a vengeance, and she just wanted to shove him down on that bed and finish what they had started.

But why would he want her away from Amora and Morgana, for other than the obvious reasons, like her knowledge of the tesseract?

"What are you talking about?" she asked, as Loki released her, stepping away, giving her space.

"For some time now," he began to explain. "I have been theorising that your close proximity to the tesseract, for such an extended period of time, has fundamentally altered your DNA. How and what it would mean for you, I do not know."

Jane stared at him, dumbstruck. Surely, he wasn't being serious!

Loki sat down on the bed, clasping his hands together and leaning forward onto his splayed legs. Jane fought to ignore the clear invitation in his body, and stepped forward to push at his leather surcoat.

"When I first arrived here," he continued. "I used my magic to search for Amora. In the process, I sensed the presence of the tesseract and I sensed…you."

"Me?" she asked, her anger fading as she listened.

"Your mind…stood out from the others. There was something intangibly different about you, that I still cannot identify," Loki sighed. "I do not know how the tesseract has affected you, and until I do, I could not countenance taking you anywhere near the enemy. The last thing I could stand is if they attempted to target you. I was trying to protect you."

Jane snorted, as she succeeded in pulling the surcoat off, and started working on his leather tunic. "Of course, because I'm the stupid little mortal and you're the almighty God-" she muttered, but he cut her off, grabbing her wrist.

"Jane," he breathed, and his voice had lowered, darkening to a possessive growl. It made her want to melt, but she wasn't about to start going soft now. "It had nothing to do with my power, or your mortality. It had everything to do with wanting to, nay _**needing**_ to protect you, to keep you safe. Every word I said to you, in the laboratory before we kissed, I meant it."

Jane looked down into his eyes, the earnest emerald irises fixed on her, and shivered, feeling her stomach drop. She looked away, too much rushing through her mind: Loki's revelation about her, what that meant, his assertion that he cared for her, that…

It was too much.

"Help me with these damn fastenings," she breathed, determined to distract herself, her fingers suddenly clumsy as she attempted to divest him of his clothing. He sighed.

"Jane," he replied. "I'm an Asgardian. My wounds will heal by themselves, and in little time. They're purely superficial, I assure you."

"Well then, me taking a look can only speed up the healing process," she quipped back, making him pause. He had walked right into that one.

And he sensed her emotional turmoil in the tension in her fingers as she pushed insistently at his clothing, in the tight lines at the corner of her eyes. She _**needed**_ to look after him, nonsensical as the notion seemed to him, because it was the only way she was comfortable showing her feelings.

So he let her. Perhaps it would ease her worry if she saw for herself how his body healed itself.

Not to mention her reactions when he removed his shirt, wincing as newly healing skin pulled with the movement, but the look in her eyes…heated, lustful. Those were particularly interesting and enjoyable to see.

Jane felt her pulse skyrocket as she gazed at the expanse of pale, rock-hard flesh under her hands. He was muscular but not overtly so, unlike some of the other Aesir, the occasional scar standing out on his skin, the pink ridges a shade darker than his natural tone. She liked them, liked the fact that they showed he had lived, he had fought and he had survived.

Forcing herself to concentrate, Jane shifted around to his back, pulling in a tight breath when she saw the damage, grazes, cuts, the rare bruise.

Nothing that needed stitching, thank God, but still looked painful. She dabbed the cotton swabs in iodine and cleaned the open cuts, Loki wincing as the harsh chemical stung.

"Valhalla above, woman," he swore under his breath. Jane smirked.

"Does that hurt?" she asked innocently, pressing in slightly at one of the cuts. Loki's hiss was all the answer she needed.

"Yes."

"Good," she replied. "See it as payback for all the worry you caused me tonight."

"Do mine ears deceive me or was that tantamount to a declaration from you, Jane Foster?" he asked, teasingly, even as he hissed in pain as she dabbed at his wounds with that wretched iodine.

"Oh, stop squirming," she snapped back. "Who knew someone who comes from legend was such a baby."

Loki grit his teeth, allowing his mind to wander and plan exactly how much, and in what currency, he was going to make her pay for that later.

A predatory smile lifted his lips, thankfully hidden from Jane where she knelt by his back.

To her surprise the wounds did seem to be sealing of their own accord. It seemed every time she blinked or turned away, they looked better. Even with her limited medical expertise, she knew there would be no scarring.

Finally she was finished, throwing the bloody swabs into the bowl and washing her hands in the sink. She did it more for time than anything else, watching her fingers as they intertwined and slid together under the cold water.

The provocative images they elicited…made her shiver uncontrollably.

"You never answered my question," she began. "What exactly were you asking forgiveness for?"

Loki chuckled as she turned around, her eyes determined. She folded her arms defiantly, flicking her loose hair over her shoulder. His eyes followed the motion, lingering on the slender curve of her neck.

He remembered the taste of her mouth, her skin as she lay beneath him on that cot. He wanted that again, and more.

"I was asking forgiveness," he started, reaching out and pulling her to him, looking up at her from his perch on the bed. A slow, seductive smile spread over his austere mouth, tempting Jane to just lower her lips to his. "For not finishing what we started, and leaving you wanting, my dear."

"You Gods are sure of yourselves, aren't you?" Jane eyed him. "A few kisses, and you think I'm just going to fall into your arms?"

Loki smiled, his hands suddenly jerking hard on her hips, pulling her into his lap, her thighs either side of his hips.

"I think the current evidence would say so, my Jane," he grinned, when Jane was forced to hold onto him tightly, her hand slipping into his hair, the other clutching his shoulder. She glared at him, but he glanced to her lips and saw them part. He snaked one hand up her spine, pulling her down to his lips, kissing her tenderly.

To his slight surprise, he felt her hands pushing him back, and he let her, gasping at the feel of her soft body atop his.

Jane could barely think at the feel of being in his arms again, except how right it felt.

And she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

She broke their kiss, staring down at him, his long hair dishevelled, his eyes glittering with lust and tenderness, as he stroked her hair back from her face, his fingers lingering on her skin, stroking down to the neckline of her vest.

"You're not getting off the hook that easily, Loki," she breathed, her voice hoarsened by his kiss. A predatory gleam sparked in his eyes, as he grinned up at her.

"Oh, I can assure you, Jane," he whispered. "I will more than make it up to you."

Jane smiled, thrilled to her toes at the promise inherent in that statement, bending her head back to his, kissing him as deeply as her position allowed, pressing her body down into his. He groaned, trying to reach up, to feel her heated skin under his palms once more, but she pinned his wrists down.

He felt the sudden restriction of leather and foam too late, as she managed to get one hand tied down by the restraints on the bed. They were usually only used if a patient required immobilising, but Jane found them coming in handy now.

She pulled herself off of him before he could reach for her, scrambling off the bed and backing away as he stared first at his wrist, then at her with a certain amount of shock.

She mentally laughed. She'd got one over on the God of Mischief! Ha!

"Not tonight, Loki," she called. "I think you need time to cool off, think things over."

She knew that restraint wouldn't hold him for long, so he would find her and finish what they started, but first…well, she thought she was allowed a little teasing.

But when she caught the hungry gleam in his eyes, and the amused, dark smile he sent her way as he raised his head, looking deliciously ruffled and kissable, she realised she might have severely miscalculated.

She stepped back, and felt herself collide with a hard, leather-clad chest, lean, unbreakable arms coming around her waist and locking her to him. Loki's voice drifted into her ear even as the Loki still tied to the bed suddenly became transparent, wavering slightly before he disappeared in a shimmer of golden light, the clothes at the end of the bed disappearing too.

"Nice try, my love," he growled in her ear. "I never told you about one of my many, impressive talents, did I? That I can copy myself, many times over?"

Jane's mind went down a very salacious avenue when he mentioned that, his laughter echoing against her spine, letting her know he guessed her thoughts. She'd been spending too much time around Darcy.

She glared at the opposite wall. "I think someone forgot to mention that little detail…" she trailed off as hard, hot lips caressed the skin under her ear, and then slid down, possessively marking her flesh. She'd have a mark tomorrow, she just knew it.

Tony would have a field day.

"I apologise for the omission," he growled, spinning her to face him, looking down on her intently. "Now, I believe we should adjourn to more…appropriate surrounds than the medical bay."

"Appropriate for what?" Jane shot at him, defiantly, enjoying every moment of their game, her pulse racing. Looking into her lover's eyes, she could tell he was enjoying it too.

"Oh, I think you know," he grinned, and then Jane cried out in surprise as he swept her legs out from under her with his arm, carrying her as effortlessly as picking up a piece of paper. She was about to tell him to put her down and she'd walk to her room with him, especially as Tony was going to be insufferable enough as it was, but he simply chuckled, with that insanely, infuriatingly arrogant grin, and then everything was a whirling mixture of flashing light and suffocating darkness, and then…

* * *

She was standing in her room, in front of her bed, Loki behind her.

"Now," he whispered huskily, against her neck. "To finish what we started, my love."

Jane barely had a moment to breathe, let alone think or speak, before he spun her around and pulled her to him, bending his head and utterly wiping away any capacity for thought or speech with his kiss.

Jane stretched up as far as she was able, twining her arms around his neck, responding to his kiss with all the passion and fear and desperate, desperate need within her. His surcoat hit the floor, followed by his long tunic and shirt, leaving him in just his breeches and boots. Jane delightedly ran her hands over his body, hot in every sense of the word. His skin burned hers.

When she ran them over his back she felt no cuts, no abrasions as Loki broke the kiss, a breathless, knowing smile on his swollen lips.

"I told you I healed fast," he chuckled. Jane glared, but a smile broke out on her kiss-swollen lips, a smile that sent shivers down the God's spine. She leaned up, taking his bottom lip and nipping it slightly. He inhaled sharply, at the mingled pleasure and slight pain, as he just smiled. "Oh, you're going to pay for that."

He leaned down, recapturing her lips, kissing her slowly, tenderly, coaxing her out of her wild desperation, making her enjoy the slow, intimate communion of their mouths.

He walked her back to her bed, pushing her down onto it and following quickly, eager to sink into his Jane's welcoming arms and kiss. He trailed one hand down her body, following the line of her hip and thigh until it met her knee, hitching it up and around his hip, so his pelvis pressed into hers tightly.

Jane gasped, the sudden burst of fire pulsing through her body, and broke the kiss, staring up at him dazedly. Her amber eyes were aflame, her lips swollen red, her silken hair lovingly dishevelled by his own hand, her sweet breath panting against his lips.

And he loved her.

As his hands fell to the hem of her vest, slipping it up as she reached up to pull his lips back to her, kissing him passionately, he felt that truth settle in his heart, never to be shaken, outshone only by another.

She loved him.

And he would never let her go. Once Amora and Morgana were gone, once the Earth was safe, he make her his bride.

His Jane. His.

* * *

_**A/N: **_Apologies for the late update. I'm slap bang in the middle of exams to get into the second year of my university course.


	11. A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Warnings: Some mild sexual content and violence

Chapter Playlist: 'Doors Open From Both Sides' from 'Avengers Assemble: Original Soundtrack'

* * *

_Every one sees what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty of the state to defend them._

_**- Niccolò Machiavelli**_

* * *

The SHIELD compound was as quiet as it ever was, as the night wore on and the dawn approached.

It still echoed with an innate sense of purpose, an air of disciplined activity, in the uniformed men and women who sat at consoles, staring, alert and unblinking, at touch screens, monitoring the desert above them for the enemy.

Fury clasped his hands behind his back as he stood in the central control room, his single eye fixed on the report on his screen, his scarred brow furrowed above the leather eye patch.

Maria Hill quickly detached herself from one of the banks of screens, approaching her commanding officer coolly, but there was a heavy sadness, deep in her eyes, that Fury saw all too often in the eyes of his men.

It had been hard for them all, and not even he was immune to it. Only a year after things decided to go to hell, and he felt tired. Weary.

He had buried too many good men and women in just twelve months.

"Sir," Hill's crisp, professional voice cut through his reminiscence, and he took the portable screen from her. "Casualties numbers from that skirmish in Oslo…"

As he listened and read the data coolly, he suddenly stiffened.

He felt it, a wave of power that set his teeth on edge. _Magic_.

And not the kind he felt around the Asgardian Prince, Loki. His magic, the palpable energy he seemed to emit, was like standing close to a blizzard.

It was cold, and possessed the ability to turn at the slightest provocation from benign and gentle to malevolent and icy.

Like the way a few drops of snow can turn into a deadly storm.

But this…_**this**_ had felt much, much worse. Like darkness and pain and hatred and death, cold, sickening, insidious…

"Sir?" Hill's voice snapped him out of his preoccupation, as his one eye snapped to her face, then rushed around the room, seeking out the source of that awful power. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," he replied briskly. "But I want security doubled. More eyes on the sky, more patrols and as soon as possible, I want Stark and Loki back working on the tesseract."

He didn't miss the slightly mischievous gleam in Hill's eyes as she moved away, but her face remained impassive.

He felt that feeling of darkness again, settling into the pit of his stomach like a weight. He shook away the feeling; sure that it was just exhaustion.

He didn't notice the young woman in SHIELD uniform slipping away, into the shadows, her eyes gleaming with the very same power Fury had felt not moments before.

* * *

This was an old game of Morgana's.

Long ago, when her goal had been the destruction of Arthur, of Camelot, of that meddling fool, Merlin, she had used this power of hers to hide her true form, to slip, undetected into her enemy's midst, to wield her magic.

And now, so many centuries later, her magic was so much stronger, thanks to the fool Amora.

The silly little Goddess thought herself too above anyone on Earth to realise that Morgana had long been siphoning her power, stealing a little, day by day, hour by hour so she would not notice its loss.

She felt her lip curling as she strode along the corridor, away from the SHIELD control room. Ever since they had taken control, she had instructed the Skrull to find and destroy this base, but their efforts had been to no avail.

Until now.

Until Loki.

Oh, he did not know that he had inadvertently led her straight to SHIELD's hideaway. He was filled with the same superior arrogance as Amora.

But his magic had been emanating from him like a rich perfume ever since she had fought him on the mountaintop. And oh, what a fight that had been…

She had met few to equal her since the days of Camelot, and Merlin. At first, she had been disappointed as he seemed so easily defeated but an instinct, deeply buried and evasive, told her that it was a mere smoke screen.

Of course, Amora laughed and celebrated at the thought that she had beaten the great Loki Silvertongue, reputedly the most powerful sorcerer in the Nine Realms. She was too blinded by her own arrogance and childish needs to see the truth.

Morgana was not.

Loki had been testing them, seeking out their weaknesses, measuring their strength both together and apart, shrouding his true design in apparent weakness and bravado. He was a clever one.

Deliciously so.

And if what Amora had told her was true, then she might have the perfect way to entice him to her side. After Amora was disposed of, she would need a strong Consort by her side, to rule the Nine Realms.

She only hoped that Laufey remembered their bargain and murdered Amora after Asgard fell.

Then she would dispose of Laufey. Another too similar to the Aesir, and yet here she was, a Midgardian sorcereress outwitting them all! She almost wanted to laugh, but it would not be wise, here, surrounded by SHIELD agents.

No, she had a task to accomplish first before she could have some fun.

She knew SHIELD possessed the tesseract. When Amora confessed its immense power to her, it became essential that it fall into her possession. With it at her command, nothing and no one would be able to stand before her. They would all bow.

Even the almighty Odin.

But how to get it…?

There was the obvious answer: Simply destroy SHIELD and take it for her own, but no, now she knew of Loki's presence here, she could not risk a direct fight with him. No, she would not harm her future Consort, nor allow him the chance to destroy her in turn.

There might be another way. Jane Foster, the mortal scientist they had attempted to dispose of nearly a year before, might be _persuaded_ to bring it to her.

Persuasion which might be all the more effective if she was at all close to any of her colleagues. The man, Selvig, and the child, Lewis, might be two such candidates for such a scheme. But, even more effective would be a lover.

Morgana smiled beneath the impassive mask of her glamour, tossing her magically changed blonde hair over her shoulder, and marched on, the pathetic humans utterly unaware of the wolf in sheep's clothing among them.

She felt the presence of the other Aesir, their slight magic pulsing from them, but it was outmatched by the sheer intensity and icy darkness that emanated from Loki. Oh yes, she would have that power at her command, she thought with a shudder.

She infiltrated deeper and deeper into the base, feeling the pull of Loki's magic as well as that of the tesseract. She felt the temptation to take it for her own, now, but it would be foolish to do so. It would reveal her strategy far too precipitously, and she had learned patience after her long struggles in another time.

She had learned patience, and her cruelty had only deepened with the march of ages. Her magic had given her immortality, but her ruthlessness had given her power.

And she would have more. In time.

She ignored the call of the tesseract, instead turning away from the laboratory where it was stored. She was masquerading as a low-level operative as it was; any passing agent would know she should not be there.

And she had no desire for a fight, not tonight. She was wiser than that.

The same could not be said for Amora.

Instead, she followed her senses to a small room. Her brow furrowed at the door, a sign bearing the message 'Do Not Disturb' on its surface, before contempt washed over her. Mortals.

But strangely, she felt Loki's presence inside, but his magic was…lax, languid, radiating contentment. Curiosity piqued, she made sure to shroud herself heavily, lest he sense her, and stepped through the wall as if it was just smoke.

What she saw made her smile, cruelly.

Loki was indeed inside the room, his magic lulled into exhausted slumber, the slight light coming from a small bathing area gilding the pale perfection of his muscled forearm.

A forearm that was slung across the partially covered, naked form of Jane Foster. She was curled into him, her mouth resting against his chest, her eyes shut, her hand tightly clutching where his shoulder met his neck, even in sleep. She stirred slightly, and Morgana watched, as Loki simply pulled her closer, his features wiped of any guile or mischief, disgustingly peaceful and content.

Inwardly, Morgana scoffed. So he had his little mortal pet, did he?

It might just work to her advantage. A slow, sly smile lifting her voluptuous lips, she backed away, careful to avoid the clothes scattered across the floor, and slipped once more from the room.

Jealousy and disgust flared within her as she remembered the way Loki's slender fingers cradled the human's head, twining with her loose hair, the way his body surrounded her so possessively. No matter, that would soon end.

Unlike Amora, she was not ruled by such base emotions as desire and jealousy, not anymore. Amora whined and threw tantrums for the attention of the one she coveted, but Morgana…she had a far cleverer game to play, and she would be playing against a master.

She would retreat, for now. Retreat, and let them, let their connection grow and then…

Then she would strike, and Loki would have no choice but to give her the tesseract and his fealty once she took his lover. But first she needed to dispose of Amora and Laufey…

Oh yes, this was shaping up nicely.

Morgana slipped away, into the shadows, a dark, anticipatory smile on her true features as the glamour melted away like wax.


	12. Reality Knocks

At The Beginning

Warnings: Some suggestive content, angst.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'The Princess Pleads For Wallace's Life' from 'Braveheart', 'Science and Magic' from 'Thor' and 'An Ideal Marriage' from 'Downton Abbey'.

* * *

_For love is immortality_

_I argue thee that love is life. And life hath immortality._

_**- Emily Dickinson**_

* * *

Loki stirred, feeling unfamiliar warmth pressed against his torso and legs. As the fog of sleep dissipated, a slow, sly smile spread over his mouth, at the memories of last night.

The warmth under his hands transmuted to soft, heated skin and he tenderly stroked down one slender arm as he opened his eyes, to the drab ceiling of Jane's room. He glanced down to see a sight he'd watched many times over the past few weeks.

Jane, asleep.

Except this time, he was holding her in his arms as she slept, her face peaceful, her brow smoothed of all cares and theories. He pushed back a loose strand of hair, and she stirred, shifting in his arms. She huffed discontentedly, and pressed herself deeper into his arms.

He laughed softly, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"Jane," he breathed gently. "I rather believe it's time to awaken."

"I don't want to," she mumbled, pressing her face against his chest. "The moment I step outside that door, it's back to reality. Reality sucks."

He chuckled, although inwardly he was frowning. Reality?

"Well, then the solution is obvious," he purred, leaning down to her, pressing a kiss to her cheek, and then her jaw. "Don't step foot outside that door."

She moaned when his lips pressed against her neck, arching beneath him as he rolled her onto her back, coming over her. Their lips met, her hands sliding from his chest to his back, clutching it tightly.

A sudden knock at the door made them pause. "Hey, lovebirds! Up and at 'em!" Tony called. "Fury wants us working on the tesseract, like stat!"

"Reality knocks," Jane muttered with a sigh. Her breath trembled from her body, making Loki frown.

Something was wrong.

* * *

"Come on," she murmured, already sitting up. "The last thing we need is Fury barging in on us."

She wrapped a sheet around her, stepping across to her storage chest, and pulling out some fresh clothing. Without looking in Loki's direction, she dressed and swiped up her discarded shirt and jeans.

She could feel his eyes following her every move, her instinctive awareness of him only heightened after last night.

What had she been thinking?

She had been caught up in the sheer relief and joy that he had come back alive. That Amora and Morgana had not taken yet another thing she…loved from her.

She wished she could have written it off as just sex, meaningless, comforting and emotionless, but she couldn't. She couldn't lie to herself that much.

Despite everything Jane believed about relationships, about _**love**_, she was in love with him. It wasn't just caring, that was only a facet of it.

Waking up to find him gone, then seeing him walk off that jet, and then the red lacerations on his back….

It was all so impossible. Even if he loved her back, something she had to concede _**was**_ possible, he was immortal, and she was mortal. When they defeated Amora and Morgana, he'd go back to Asgard.

And even if he didn't….

Jane had to drag herself out of a fantastical daydream of what ifs and maybes. Even if he didn't return to Asgard, and she was sure he would, he had his duty as a Prince after all; she was mortal. She would die, one day, and who would want to put anyone they loved through that?

So, as much as it hurt to do so, she needed to maintain some distance. Last night had been…a dream, but now it was back to reality.

Resolved, determined, she turned to face him, only to find him standing close to her, one hand delicately caressing her jaw, before those slender fingers firmed around her chin, tilting her head up so her eyes had no choice but to meet his.

"Jane, what is it?" he asked gently, his tone certain, brooking no denial. He was the God of Lies after all, a master of lying. He'd see through her in a nanosecond.

"Nothing's wrong," she murmured, choosing her words carefully. "I don't regret last night, if that's what you're worried about."

"Jane," he sighed. "While that may be true, you're skirting around what is really troubling you. Don't try to lie to me, it does not work."

"Loki…" she began, then trailed off. She shook her head, dark hair flying. "We've got work to do."

Feeling like the coward she really was, she escaped before he could say a word, or pull her back, a sick emptiness in her stomach.

* * *

Loki followed her out, eyes narrowed at his lover's retreating back. Something was wrong, and he would find it out, and soon.

He didn't know what it was that was troubling her but he would eliminate it without mercy. After their night together, he was not about to let anything come between them. Waking up with her in his arms had only firmed his resolve to ask her to be his wife, after everything was over.

They left her room, Jane blushing when she saw the 'Do Not Disturb' sign hanging from her door knob, making Loki chuckle to himself.

The moment they got to the lab, she glared pointedly at Tony, who held his hands up in mock-fear.

"I didn't do it! It wasn't me!" he called. "Blame Maria and Nat!"

The laugh that left her mouth was forced, but it seemed to appease Tony. Loki, on the other hand, was not to be fooled so easily.

It was going to be a long day.

By the time it neared midday, Jane wasn't the only one who was on edge. Tony's pointed innuendoes and endless teasing was starting to grate on even Loki's nerves, especially as one part of his mind was invariably focussed on his suddenly reticent lover, who refused to meet his gaze and only spoke directly to him when necessary.

Even Stark seemed to pick up on it, eventually.

Loki sighed. He needed to speak with Stark, he wanted to speak with Jane, corner her and refuse to let her leave his arms until she confessed whatever was bothering her.

Thankfully, it was Jane herself who solved his conundrum.

"I'm going to grab some food, you two want anything?" she asked, flicking some wayward hair out of her face. Her eyes met his directly for the first time since leaving her room that morning, and he sighed at the oddly closed expression in them.

She was drawing back from him. He didn't know why, but he would find out and stop it dead. No reason could be good enough to end this. Nothing.

"I'm good, thanks Jane," Stark glanced up from his workstation, busy waiting for the results of their tests to come through. So far, the adamantium/iridium composite was proving the strongest.

Loki just shook his head, refusing to drop eye contact with Jane as her jaw tensed, and she fidgeted. "No, thank you," he murmured, at last, his voice low and tightly controlled. Jane dropped his gaze and hurried from the room, making the Aesir sigh heavily.

"Seriously, you guys are like a soap opera," Stark chuckled from his stool. "What's goin' on there?"

"I do not know," Loki replied. "Are all Earth women this complicated?"

Tony laughed. "I've found Earth women have a thousands ways of saying no, and only ten of them actually mean yes," he shrugged. "Jane's not a simple girl. You barely know each other really, and it's gonna take time, just don't give up on her."

"I have no intention of doing so," his companion breathed, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the place where Jane had scurried out of the door.

"Have you considered the fact that she might be trying to put a little distance between you because of the whole God/mortal shebang?" Stark asked, looking up from his results. Loki glanced at him swiftly, brow furrowed. "I mean you're immortal, you'll live forever and she…won't. You could kinda see why she'd push you away, to stop the both of you getting hurt."

"I had not considered that," Loki frowned, looking down at his laptop screen, rubbing his middle finger over his top lip. "The Aesir are not immortal. We possess far greater lifespans, but we may be killed by extreme old age or severe injury. And we have…means of granting that longevity to others, if they prove themselves worthy."

Stark grinned. "Well, tell her that, lover boy," he chuckled. Loki sighed, letting the comment go over his head. Was that what had depressed her that morning? The thought that her mortality would be a problem for them, and it was better to draw back, to avoid hurt?

He snorted to himself. As if he would have ever allowed her to, in the first place. He would rather spend a single mortal lifetime with her, than spend the next millennium alone. It did not matter anyway, since he could and would, make her an Aesir and give her the lifespan to share his own.

He needed to talk to her.

He inhaled tightly, forcing his mind away from Jane's infuriating attempt at emotional martyrdom, and back onto the issue of the tesseract. Or namely, what her proximity to the tesseract had done to Jane.

"Stark, do you have any old records of DNA, older than a year?" he asked, making the mortal look up, surprised. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Yeah," he replied. "SHIELD takes blood samples as part of the regular health checks it does on its staff. It also allows us to make sure no Skrull try to sneak in, disguised as one of us. What do you need?"

"I have a suspicion that Jane's continued close proximity to the tesseract has begun to fundamentally alter her DNA," Loki explained. "Out of all of you, she has remained in close contact with it for over a year."

"How d'you know it's affected her?" Tony asked, interestedly.

"When I arrived on Earth, I used my magic to…" he struggled to explain exactly what he could do with his power. "To sense the location of the power that attacked Asgard, and controlled the Skrull and the Jotunns. I also sensed the tesseract, and…Jane. Her mind was different to the mortals around her when they found us in the desert. More akin to an Aesir than to a human woman."

"You think the tesseract's changing her into one of you?" the mortal asked. Loki shook his head.

"I do not know, for certain. But comparing her DNA records might provide some clue as to the depths of the changes," he replied. Tony nodded.

"I'll get right on it," he murmured, clearly musing on the best way. "I can hack into SHIELD's medical files and pull up her records. I'll compare them with mine and Erik Selvig's, as well, just to provide some basis for analysis. Would you let me take some blood from you too, to see how similar her DNA is now to yours?"

Loki nodded his assent.

"Ok, then," Tony grinned. "Best keep this between us though. Don't want Fury getting all excited."

"No, that might be best," Loki agreed.

"Now go find that girl of yours and sweep her off her feet," he chuckled, waving the Aesir away. "Some of us got work to do."

"Thank you, Tony," Loki shook his head exasperatedly, before leaving the lab and heading towards the canteen to find Jane.


	13. Never Doubt That I Love

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Warnings: Innuendo, some mild sexual content.

Chapter Playlist: 'Rose Garden' from 'Becoming Jane'.

* * *

_Doubt that the stars are fire._

_Doubt that the sun doth move,_

_Doubt truth to be a liar,_

_But never doubt that I love._

_-__**Hamlet**_

* * *

Jane sat at a table in the canteen, idly stirring her soup with the spoon, eyes glazed and unseeing.

Trying to be professional and distant was proving harder than expected. She had a serious case of lust for Loki right now, and that demanded physical contact and interaction. Not even full-blown sex necessarily, just letting herself touch him and be near him, meeting his eyes when they spoke.

God, that last look he gave her, just as she left the lab, had been so full of yearning and confusion that it had taken all the strength within her to keep from jumping him right in front of Tony. She was a mature adult for goodness' sake, not a hormonal teenager!

Well, if she was a mature adult, she would have talked to him about her reservations. She shouldn't have just run away…

Jane mentally groaned, her thoughts running in circles, as she rested her face in her hands.

"Hey, Jane," Darcy's chirpy, optimistic voice pierced through the morass of confusion and pain in her head, and she looked up at the slender brunette. "You ok?"

"Stop looking so satisfied, and I might be," Jane moaned. Darcy smirked as she sat down, then rearranged her features into an appropriately concerned expression.

"What's eating you?" she asked. "Loki turn out to be a dud? Y'know, shooting blanks?"

"Darcy!" Jane snapped, shocked. Darcy just smiled, unrepentant, and the scientist eventually returned the smile weakly.

"C'mon, the suspense is killing me!" she moaned. "How was he?"

"He was…." Jane trailed off, as phantom memories of heated kisses and strong arms making love to her made her blush and her lips throb.

"Daaaamn!" Darcy grinned. "He must have been good."

"Yeah," Jane sighed, before shaking herself. "I mean, not that that matters…"

"Oh no, you don't," Darcy waved a finger at her warningly. "Obviously the dude's smoking hot in bed since I've never seen you this way before, but there's something eating you. Come on, spill!"

Jane narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Where's Fandral?" she asked. A lascivious smirk crossed Darcy's full lips, and she flicked her hair over her shoulder. The scooped neckline did nothing to hide the dark bruise on her throat.

"Still in bed," she murmured. "He's so lazy, but then I kinda wore him out."

"Have you two spoken at all? About the future?" Jane asked, carefully. Darcy's smile faded slightly, although her eyes didn't stop twinkling.

"We didn't do much talking to be honest," she admitted. "Did you?"

"No," Jane sighed. "No, we didn't."

"And you're worried about the future," Darcy continued. "Oh God, Jane do you have to over think everything!"

Jane's head snapped up, her jaw dropping in shock at her friend's outburst.

"Jane," Darcy took her hand. "We're in the middle of a war. Who knows if we're going to be dead tomorrow. Quite frankly, I'm not worried about my future with Fandral, I'm just enjoying today."

"But, Darcy, I can't be like that," Jane breathed. "I think….no, I _**know**_ I'm in love with him. My head says that's me being stupid, and then there's the immortality thing, and the fact he'll have to go back to Asgard eventually, and I can't stay with him and let him watch me grow old and die! I just can't!"

By the end of her rant she was almost hyperventilating. Darcy's hand tightened around hers, and she shook her head.

"Jane, he's crazy about you. Anyone can tell that just by watching him when he's with you. As for your head, like I said, you think _**too**_ much. And if you love him, then stop listening to your head. Love isn't an equation you can solve," she told her patiently. Jane smiled wanly, looking down at their joined hands contemplatively.

"Have you spoken to him about this?" she asked. Jane shook her head. "Then maybe you should."

Jane glanced up to her friend, a wicked smile replacing her tired one. "Who are you and what have you done with Darcy Lewis?" she asked as the brunette laughed.

"I think she grew up," she shrugged, but there was a shadow in her eyes that made Jane's heart constrict with the memory of all that Darcy had lost. Suddenly, she slapped the table, making Jane jump. "Well, what you waiting for? Go find tall-dark-and-sexy-alien-dude, and make him beg for mercy."

"Now, that's the Darcy I know," Jane sighed, smiling through her blush. A moment later, she stood and left, leaving Darcy behind.

"Oh, leave me to clean the dishes," she grumbled good-naturedly, eying Jane's cold, unwanted bowl of soup. "Some things never change."

* * *

Jane started to walk back towards the lab, managing to make it halfway there before she spotted Loki rounding the corner ahead, walking towards her, head down. His face was pensive, narrowed by thought, his dark hair spilling over his leather-clad shoulders, his hands clasped behind him as he walked, looking every inch the regal Prince he was.

Jane wasn't a 'mushy' sort, but watching him walk towards her, a beaming smile widened her lips and she wondered what she had done to deserve a full-blown _**God**_ to come into her life. Darcy was right, she did over think things all the time, and this….this was not something that conformed to any logic, or equation. It simply was.

She could either accept that, a tempting prospect despite all the problems she knew hovered on the periphery, or deny it.

Well, as Darcy would say, screw that.

He looked up, and her breath caught in her throat. He looked so…determined, and it sent shivers down her spine.

Well, she could be determined too. He opened his mouth, perhaps to say her name, but she didn't let him, marching close to him, reaching up to grab his lapels and pull him down to her. Gathering her courage, she covered his lips with hers.

She kissed him with all the urgency within her, and after a stunned second, he reciprocated eagerly, burying one hand in the hair bunched at the nape of her neck, pulling her into him. A minute later, his hands fell to her hips, hauling her hard against him, her head growing dizzy from lack of oxygen.

He was called the Silvertongue for a reason after all.

She felt a hard surface hit her back and realised he had pushed her against the wall, trapping her between it and his unyielding, strong body. She wasn't exactly complaining.

Abruptly, he broke the kiss, resting his hands either side of her shoulders but not touching her. He didn't need to, she was completely surrounded by him, the only thing her eyes could see, him. He was crowding her the way he had in the lab, before their first kiss, when their feelings had tentatively been given voice for the first time.

And just as then, Jane didn't let him intimidate her.

"Well, I must say, this _**is **_an improvement," he growled, his voice deliciously husky.

"We need to talk," Jane breathed, and he nodded. The hunger she had unleashed with her reckless kiss reared between them, fresh and too new to be denied. She leaned up to kiss him again, when he chuckled and dodged her advance.

"Oh, no," he breathed in her ear. "I rather think we should adjourn to other quarters for this discussion. I'm sure we've given the SHIELD security staff quite the show."

"I don't care, just shut up and kiss me," she snapped, pulling his lips back to hers. He capitulated, a hungry moan sending shivers down her spine as he pressed himself against her length.

A moment later, a familiar sensation of rushing air washed over her, but she kept her eyes closed and clung to Loki. The wind stopped, and he pushed her back onto something soft and yielding. The ceiling that met her eyes told her it was her room.

For a moment, reason reasserted itself and she frowned. "Wait, what about Tony? Work? Shouldn't we-?" she leaned on her elbows, meeting her lover's eyes as he joined her on her bed. He chuckled ruefully, shaking his head.

"Trust you, Jane, to think of work at such a time," he murmured. "As it is, we have made all the progress we can on the tesseract today. Stark has reported to Fury and is currently working on one of his own pet projects. We're free, for a few hours."

"Oh." Jane frowned, then her face cleared, her hands reaching for him. "Good."

He caught her hands, pinning her wrists to the bed either side of her head. "Unfortunately, love, we do have things to talk about first," he sighed. "Such as why you have been avoiding me these past hours since we last left this room."

Jane grumbled mulishly, eying him until he released his hold on her wrists. Mentally smirking, she went to move her hands but they were stuck fast. She glanced sideways, to see shimmering green bands of energy gently looping around her wrists, seemingly holding her fast to the bed. She attempted to move them, but they gave no ground, and she turned her head to glare at Loki as he smirked, satisfied with his handiwork.

"Well, since I cannot trust you to keep your hands to yourself," he sighed, leaning over her, reclining on the bed like a lazy panther. "Now. Explain."

Jane rolled her eyes but gave in. She didn't exactly have much choice either way, and this needed to be done.

"Last night was incredible," she started, glaring at him when that infuriating smirk only grew. "But I don't usually do…stuff like this. I'm not good with relationships, and with everything that's happened in the last 24 hours…I was scared."

"Scared of what you feel for me?" he asked, gently, his smirk fading. She nodded, looking away.

"I don't believe in love at first sight, or soul mates, or any of that. But then you arrived, and in a matter of weeks, I'm contemplating the 'L' word," she murmured. "But it isn't just that which made me draw back. Waking up in your arms made me realise how much I wanted that for the rest of my life, and how selfish that is."

"Selfish?" Loki asked, confused, his heart pounding. This was more than he could have hoped for, and his desire was only building, tempered by the love her words were evoking in him. Of the many things he thought Jane was, selfish was not even in the periphery.

Jane refused to meet his eyes when she spoke next, her voice small, tightly controlled. "You're a Prince. Eventually, you will have to leave, go back to Asgard. Even if we…if I were to-I'll still age and die. It's not fair on either of us," she shrugged as well as she could, bound as she was. She felt Loki's sigh, then his gentle, elegant fingers on her jaw, drawing her head up, making her meet his eyes.

They were soft, loving as he leant in and brushed a chaste kiss over her lips. A sweet affirmation, one which simultaneously broke and healed Jane's heart as she whimpered.

"Oh my sweet Jane," he whispered. "You are right in that I will have to return to Asgard, but I never intended on leaving you."

Jane stared at him, stunned, a fledgling hope blooming in her mind.

"Usually I would not have…taken you to bed so early in our relationship," he explained. "But events overtook me, and I am loath to give up that pleasure merely for tradition's sake, not on Earth anyway. After we had defeated Amora and Morgana, I had planned to visit, often, to court you properly and then ask you a very important question. So consider this a forewarning."

Jane was left reeling. He was really offering what she thought he was….? Her daydreams came back to life, resurrected with a vengeance but she forced herself to think like an adult for one moment more.

"But I'm still mortal," she protested. He shook his head.

"That does not signify," he told her gently. "I am not immortal. I may be killed by injury or extreme old age. And this would not be the first time an Aesir has taken a mortal as their spouse. We have ways of granting our longevity to those who prove themselves worthy, and before you even think about protesting your unworthiness from those luscious lips of yours, you _**are **_worthy, Jane."

"I need time to think about this," she replied, her heart pounding loud enough to echo in her ears. He smiled and shrugged.

"Take as long as you need. Just tell me when you're ready to say yes," he told her, and her eyes narrowed.

"Confident, aren't you?" she growled, making him laugh.

"Need I remind you, love, I am not the one currently tied to a bed," he grinned, as her glare ratcheted up another notch in intensity. He bent his head and nipped at her bottom lip, the way she had done to him last night, and her gasp was enough to dispel her annoyance at his arrogance.

He began peeling her shirt open, lavishing the skin beneath with his lips and tongue, making her moan and pull against his bonds. He pulled her leg up, slinging it over his hip, as she arched beneath him, drawing a groan from his own lips.

"I think this part of our relationship has fallen into place rather nicely," he breathed against her lips. She seemed to agree, reaching up to kiss him heatedly, wiping away all thought of his words or her newly appeased fears.

When he raised his head, a wicked grin darkened his handsome features, making Jane both mentally gulp with trepidation and her body writhe with anticipation.

With a snap of his fingers, his clothes melted away, and he pressed his hand to her body, over her heart.

"I know this has happened fast," he breathed, drawing his hand down, magically removing her clothing to reveal her soft, heated body. All his. "But never doubt the strength of my feelings for you. They are as unyielding and unchanging as the mountains of Asgard herself."

Jane opened her mouth, but his head swooped down, covering her mouth with his, and she moaned as he proceeded to drive all reason from her mind, her wrists still bound with his magic, her body rising to his call.

* * *

He was right. This aspect of their relationship was natural and perfect. They fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

It gave her hope, hope for a future unmarred by war, by death. A future with him, by his side, for a very long time.


	14. Magic and Science

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Warnings: None.

Chapter Playlist: 'The Calm Before The Storm' from 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' and 'Science and Magic' from 'Thor'.

* * *

'_He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.'_

_**- Lao Tzu**_

'_He is most powerful who has power over himself.'_

_**- Seneca**_

'_Power is not alluring to pure minds.'_

_**- Thomas Jefferson**_

* * *

Tony Stark looked up from his computer when the lab door opened and Loki and Jane walked in. They didn't outwardly look different, but he could see an air of contentment hanging around them both, and inwardly he smiled.

He hadn't known the God very long, but he liked him. He was arrogant, brilliant, misunderstood and he did whatever the hell he wanted. A guy after his own heart.

But he was also driven but duty and an innate need to prove himself, something Tony knew all too well. He'd felt it, living under the shadow of his father's brilliance.

And as for Jane, he could only wish her all the happiness in the world. She was a sweet, beautiful woman with a will of iron and heart of gold. She had faced incredible horrors in the past year, enough to break anyone else, but she soldiered on, regardless. She deserved some peace.

So when he glanced back at the results of his investigation into her DNA records, he sighed heavily. He feared he was about to disturb any chance at peace she still had.

"Hey guys," he called, cheerily. Jane smiled widely, but Loki noticed his façade and his eyes narrowed questioningly. "Didn't think I was going to see either of you for next 24 hours."

Jane blushed, avoiding his gaze as she went to the workstation closest to the tesseract, unaware of the silent communication occurring between the two men. She glanced over the designs Tony had come up with, to house the tesseract.

Glancing at the cubic object in front of her, she frowned as she wondered exactly how they would be able to house it successfully. And they still hadn't worked out how to duplicate the 'aura' emanated by the Aesir.

"Loki," she began. "Have you had anymore thoughts about how to duplicate-?"

"Jane," he cut her off, gently. She felt his hands slip around her waist, tightening as he turned her around. When she met his eyes, they were concerned, almost sad. "There's something I need to tell you."

He was scaring her. "Loki, what is it?" she asked, nervously. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then led her over to the computer screen Tony was leaning over.

"You remember that I placed that sleeping spell on you, to prevent Amora or Morgana learning of you? That I believe that the tesseract has altered you?" he murmured questioningly.

She nodded.

"Well, I asked Tony to compare your DNA profile from a year ago, and your most recent profile," he began to explain, and then Tony took over.

"I also took the liberty of comparing your DNA with mine and Erik's, just for comparison, since we've also had some contact with the tesseract, although not nearly so intensive as yours," he told her. He touched a tab on the touch screen, bringing up a number of DNA profiles, the winding helixes seeming to flash before Jane's eyes as trepidation swirled, almost like nausea, in her stomach. Tony pointed to her DNA profiles. "The first thing I noticed is that you possess a gene that neither I nor Erik has. So while there has been some alteration to mine and his DNA, its minute to the point of non-existence. But you, on the other hand…"

He pointed to hers, and although Jane was no geneticist, she could see a difference in the DNA strands, compared to his. Something had changed.

"The tesseract seems to be awakening a dormant gene in your DNA, one I guess has been locked for generations," Tony continued. "Now you've been in such close contact with the tesseract, it's waking up. That would explain the difference you felt between her mind and ours," he added, in Loki's direction, before he turned back to Jane, with a solemn look. "You're changing."

"Changing? Into what?" she asked, tentatively. She felt Loki's hand snake around her waist, squeezing gently and she took strength from that touch, emanating like a palpable warmth into her body.

"I don't know," Tony shook his head. "We'll know more after I've compared your DNA with Loki's, if you don't mind."

"I want this kept away from Fury's notice," Loki replied, taking a knife from his belt and cutting his finger. Before Jane's eyes, the tiny cut healed. "I will not allow him to turn Jane into some kind of experiment."

"Hell, no," Tony agreed. "Don't worry, I have my ways. Fury will stay as blind as the proverbial bat."

"Thank you," Loki sighed, holding the blood-tinged knife over a diagnostic station, tapping it so a single drop left the blade, before magically cleaning it and slipping it back into his belt.

Jane could not speak, her tongue too heavy for words. Tony's discovery, even tempered as it was by Loki's revelation the previous night, was sobering.

What was she becoming? What had the tesseract changed her into? Was still changing her into?

Tony rolled his eyes. "Jeez, I wasn't asking for a blood sacrifice, y'know," he grumbled sarcastically, his fingers flying across the surface of the touch screen. "Ok, here we go."

He brought up Loki's DNA profile once the computer had finished scanning it, and it sprang up next to Jane's.

"There," Loki suddenly pointed to one strand in particularly, his emerald eyes darting between the two profiles intently. "It bears some similarity, but my DNA is still far more complex than yours or Selvig's. But Jane's…"

He trailed off, frowning. Silence fell in the lab, while the two mortals waited impatiently for him to speak again.

"What are you thinking?" Tony finally asked, while Jane's eyes remained riveted on the DNA profiles, unbelieving.

"Tell me, are there any magic users among your people?" he asked, thoughtfully. Tony shook his head.

"Not that I know of, unless you count mutants. But I've seen DNA profiles of mutant humans, and this is nothing like theirs. D'you think Jane might have the ability to use magic?" Tony replied.

"Possibly," Loki sighed. "I can not know for certain, and while there were tales of magic users among humans during the time when we visited this Realm often, they were few. But it may be possible that with the discovery of the tesseract, and my own arrival on Earth, the resulting radiation has unlocked something in Jane's DNA."

"But then why can't I touch the tesseract?" Jane found her voice at last. "You can."

"Possibly because it still identifies you as mostly mortal," Loki mused. "As it was, it just threw you back, instead of disintegrating you as it did Schmidt. It might be that as you discover and harness your magic, the tesseract will come to accept you as a mistress."

Jane's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "This is crazy!" she blurted. "I can't do anything special! I'm just a scientist for God's sake!"

"If you have magic, I will help you learn control," Loki's warm arms enveloped her, and she clung to him, her anchor in a suddenly spinning world. She nestled her cheek against his heartbeat, and took a deep breath. "All will be well, Jane."

Jane could only hope so.

* * *

So her magic lessons began. It was frustrating, slow work, like trying to consciously use a muscle that worked involuntarily.

First she had to identify the muscle, then strengthen it before she could use it. And it seemed the muscle in question was a section of her brain that had remained dormant for thousands of years.

While Stark finalised his designs for the tesseract and reported to Fury, Loki made her sit on a stool in front him, her eyes closed.

"Magic is not an equation, Jane," he was telling her, patiently. "There is an element of theory behind it, but first one must seek and master the _**instinct**_. Feeling is the cornerstone of magic."

She sighed. "This certainly _**feels**_ stupid!" she muttered through gritted teeth. She searched within her mind, but she could sense nothing. She was a creature of logic, not of instinct.

She felt him take her hand, warm, strong, safe, and she forced herself to relax.

_**Open your eyes, Jane…**_

A familiar voice spoke, echoing inside her head, and she gasped, tensing. Loki's hand tensed around hers, and he spoke again, this time with his mouth. "Relax, Jane," he told her. "I'm just trying something. Now open your eyes."

This time the command was inescapable, and she did as she was told. She opened her eyes, and met his, the green orbs transformed into flickering, flaming gems set into his pale face, shimmering with **power**.

She gasped, feeling something deep inside of her jerk, and suddenly it was as if a new veil fell over her vision, so she could still see, yet she saw another layer beneath her conscious vision.

She shuddered, and the veil shimmered and failed, and she slumped, gasping in her stool. Loki smiled, satisfied. "Good," he purred. "Very good."

"What did you do?" she asked wearily. He shrugged.

"Simply allowed myself to touch your mind with my own," he explained. "The very fact that you heard my voice is proof of something…_**more**_ than human about you, Jane Foster."

"I don't want this power," she looked down. He tipped her chin back up, a gentle smile on his face.

"You may not have wanted it, but you possess it nonetheless," he replied, gently but firmly. "You cannot escape this. The more you learn to control it, the more chance you have of preventing it from being misused."

"I suppose," Jane relented. "I just hope Fury doesn't find out about this."

"He will not," Loki promised her tensely. "And even if he tried anything, he would not succeed. I would not let him."

"I know," she smiled wanly, kissing the hand cupped around her cheek. He leaned in and kissed her, drawing her thoughts away from their depression, and into his arms. Now she knew what he was doing, she felt it when he let their minds intertwine for a moment, and she gasped as dual pleasure slipped into her body, his and hers combined into a heady intoxicant.

She raised her head, panting, as he smiled, his grin a touch strained. "You see, this has some advantages, my love," he whispered, pulling her lips back to his.

Once again that sense returned, and she shuddered at the feeling.

_**Feeling**_.

That was the cornerstone of magic, and Jane could feel everything around her, emanating from a place deep within her, unleashed from its genetic chains. It was then that she realised something.

Magic was feeling, but it also science.

The air was nothing more than a series of interlocking molecules, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen…

The table behind her a mass of elements. She could name every one of them. The floor the same.

She could feel the power of the tesseract, effervescent, radiating heat and light in her head, beautiful, enthralling, seductive. She felt it reach for her, and it welcomed her, enthusing her with energy, sending a thrill down her veins.

She intensified her kiss, hungry. The power in her veins felt like wildfire, untameable, unstoppable. She sensed the same power, previously veiled, hidden deep beyond the abilities of her mortal eyes, in her lover.

Strong, predatory, vicious if he so wished. It should have frightened her, the darkness inside of him, but instead, it thrilled her as much as the power she sensed.

_**Jane**_…

She felt his voice in her head, ignored him, her arms tightening around his neck, his hands like steel shackles around her waist.

_**Jane!**_

_**JANE!**_

She jerked away, back to herself, that exhilarating sense of power fading and she felt dazed, uncontrollably shaking as her eyes fluttered open.

A crashing noise erupted around them, and she almost yelped, as several dozen pieces of equipment, laptops, scanners, diagnostic screens; all of them fell back onto their work surfaces with a _**bang**_.

"What. The. Hell!" she shrieked, feeling Loki's arms come around her, tightening around her waist, as her panic only rose.

"Calm, Jane," he whispered in her ear. "You just need to calm down."

Jane shuddered, and closed her eyes, turning in his hold to bury her face in his chest. He sighed, holding her tightly, pained by the fear he could sense welling inside of her. How could he tell her how beautiful she was, how strong her power was, how much he loved her, both now and before?

She was magnificent.

He pressed a kiss to her temple, then to her cheek, moving down her face to her neck. He tilted her head up, to meet his eyes, her eyes welling with tears of fear and confusion.

"Jane, love, tell me what happened. What did you feel?" he asked, cupping her face in his hands. She took a shuddering breath, and began to speak.

"I-I felt…everything. The air, the elements in the table, the floor. I felt the tesseract, I felt its power reaching for me, surrounding me, penetrating my every cell," she breathed, stiltedly. "It was…incredible."

Loki smiled reassuringly, even though inwardly he was concerned. In that moment, when he felt the surge of power inside of her, while they kissed, the call of the tesseract rising in the air around them, he felt the depths of that power, unstoppable, almost without end.

Power, pure, unadulterated power. His little mortal, her full potential unlocked by the influence of the tesseract. But she was unstable, her power unreliable.

He needed to consult Odin, but that was impossible. This was something even beyond his ken, and he shuddered to think of what might occur if Amora or Morgana discovered her now.

"Loki…" Jane whispered, and he came back to himself. He focussed again on her, alarmed to find tears escaping from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks like diamond trails. She was terrified.

"Jane, listen to me," he whispered huskily. "You will learn how to control this. I will do everything in my power to help you. You're not alone."

She leaned her head on his chest, and he pressed a kiss to her hair. She inhaled deeply, relishing his musky scent, letting it calm her.

But that sense had been awakened inside of her, and it did not fade. She closed her eyes, and pushed it away, relaxing against him.

Safe. Loved.

"Umm, guys?" Stark's annoyed, questioning voice interrupted their calm. "Anyone care to tell me why I almost had a bench fall on my head a second ago?"

Loki and Jane looked up, and then at each other. Sheepishly, Jane muttered. "My bad."


	15. How The Mighty Have Fallen

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: None.

Chapter Playlist: 'Lily's Theme' from 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' and 'Healing Katniss' from 'The Hunger Games'.

* * *

''_With great power comes great responsibility.'_

_**- Ben Parker**_

* * *

"Ok, big fella, here we go!" Tony clapped his hands together gleefully, bringing up a schematic on his touch screen. Jane eyed the design on the screen, then met Loki's eyes.

Clearly their thoughts were the same.

"Tony, last time I looked we weren't at a Lord of the Rings convention," she sighed, the genius's grin fading.

"Come on," he moaned. "You're standing next to a freakin' _**GOD **_from Norse Mythology!"

"I just think it's a little much," she shrugged.

"I repeat, _**GOD**_," Tony pointed to the silent, dark presence at Jane's side, arms folded in an undeniably male display of amusement. "Come on, what d'you think?"

Loki glanced to Jane then chuckled. "I side with the lady," he murmured softly.

"Suck up," Tony grumbled, looking back to his schematics. Loki brought up another, Jane finding her mind wandering slightly as his slender fingers danced gracefully across the transparent crystal screen.

"What of this?" the Prince offered. "Somewhat more…practical than the last, Tony."

Jane cocked her head, studying the design. It was elegant, streamlined; a retractable spear tapering into a lethal looking blade, the tesseract nestled beneath it. Glancing sideways at Loki, she idly mused it would suit him very well.

"Yeah," Tony admitted. "I kinda like that one too, but I couldn't work out how to make it work. Just not enough adamantium or iridium for it to be possible."

Loki stroked a finger across his top lip, his brow slightly furrowed as he thought hard. Jane felt her mind once again wander, a disgruntled part of her wondering if he even knew he was doing it. Panic bloomed when she felt that insidious sense rise, uncontrollable, pulsing with in sync with her rising lust, beating a tattoo on her body.

This was ridiculous!

Loki wordlessly reached out, slipping his hand across her lower back, curving over her hip, and she felt herself relax, her magic slipping back into slumber as his touch soothed.

"I don't think that will be a problem," Loki smiled. "As it is, we will need to use our magic to reshape the tesseract-"

"Wait a second! We?" Jane interjected, eying him glaringly. She had not tried any more experiments with her magic since what Tony had dubbed the 'Poltergeist' incident, three days before.

"How are you gonna do that?" Tony cut in, brows high.

"Magic," Loki replied. "With Jane's assistance, I will reshape the tesseract, and I will also be able to replicate enough of the compound to make this design a reality. It will be workable only by magic, but I doubt Fury will object if one of his own people also has the power to wield it-"

"Whoa, whoa there!" Jane cut in again, alarmed. "I thought we agreed. No more magic for awhile, and definitely no telling Fury."

"Jane," Loki sighed, turning to her, ignoring Stark's rolling eyes. "We shall have to eventually. I cannot do it alone, and it might make the blow to Fury less painful if you were to master the tesseract also."

"But I can't even do anything unless you're nearby," she retorted heatedly. "Likewise I can't even control it."

Loki opened his mouth to reply, but they were cut off by a sudden blare of static from Tony's and Jane's earpieces.

"Stark, we have a situation. We may need you to suit up," Fury's neutral, nonchalant tones came over the line, making all three stiffen. "Get up to the control room. Now."

"Got it," Tony tapped the device, immediately turning around and rushing from the room. They had not been summoned but Loki and Jane followed anyway, dread pooling deep in her stomach.

* * *

The control room was a chaotic mass of SHIELD agents rushing from one station to another, Fury stood in the middle like the eye of the storm, his single eye fixed on the view screen in front of him.

Steve, Clint and Natasha had been sent out to supervise a transport of refugees from Canada, bringing them back to base after the last SHIELD outpost had been destroyed. They had come under heavy attack by Skrull.

"Stark!" Fury barked. "Suit up and get out there. They're twenty kilometres from base. Reinforcements will be right behind you."

Stark took in the situation, his face hardening into an impassive mask. He nodded and turned on his heel, marching past Loki and Jane, steely purpose rushing him from the room.

"Your Highness," Fury called to Loki next. "Is the tesseract combat ready?"

Loki sighed, but kept his patience. "No, not nearly ready," he replied. "But allow me to offer the services of myself and my men. I wouldn't want for them to get bored."

Fury nodded, inwardly relieved at the prospect of such powerful reinforcements as the Aesir, but kept his face blank. "Go, I'll have a pilot waiting for you."

Fear clutched Jane's heart, and she glanced fearfully to Loki as he backed away from the control room, before turning and taking her with him.

"There's nothing I can say to dissuade you, is there?" she breathed, as they marched through the corridors of SHIELD.

"Absolutely nothing," he replied shortly. "I would have thought you would be glad of the help. Freely co-operating with humanity."

"I…am," Jane sighed. "Just be careful."

Loki's tension relaxed into amusement, as he stopped and pulled her into his arms, just outside the entrance to the main hangar bay. Jane willingly met his kiss, running her hands through his hair, stretching up as far as she was able to retain his warmth, his strength.

"Never fear, love," he said as he pulled back. "I am always careful."

Jane snorted, hiding her unease. "Do the words Amora and Morgana mean anything to you?" she quipped. He rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to retort when Jane cut him off. "Yeah, I know. You were testing their strengths, exposing their weaknesses, pretending to be weaker, blah, blah, blah…"

"Great Valhalla, you're turning into Darcy," he shot back, pulling her into him once more. Jane felt a strangled moan leave her lips as he kissed her passionately, moulding her body effortlessly to his.

They had been lovers for four days, and Jane was already wondering if she would ever have her fill of the man. She doubted it, and wondered if that was his plan, to gain her agreement to…

She could barely think the word. It made her smile and daydream like a freshman, simultaneously making her frown and worry and fret. Sometimes she hated her head, it always overcomplicated things.

"Oh, God! Get a room you two!" a familiar voice called, and the pair paused in their embrace to see Fandral in all his armour and Darcy hurrying towards them, both with wicked smirks on their faces.

Jane blushed, wishing she could retaliate, but as usual, Loki got there first for both of them. "Need I repeat an old Earth saying?" he called, teasingly. "Pot, kettle, black."

"Touché," Darcy smiled appreciatively, as the couple came to a halt before them. "Finally Jane you get a guy with a brain."

Jane rolled her eyes. None of the guys she had ever dated were stupid, but none of them had ever reacted well to Darcy's odd sense of humour.

"You pay me the highest compliments, my lady," Loki retorted sarcastically. Fandral just grinned, slipping his arm from Darcy's slender waist. "Ready, Fandral?"

"Completely, my Prince," the warrior grinned. "I've been getting rather restless lately. A good old-fashioned skirmish is just what the doctor ordered."

Loki sighed. They had been spending too long on Earth if Fandral was using their idioms.

He had barely thought of Asgard in the past few days. The development of his relationship with Jane, their work with the tesseract and his confrontation with Amora and Morgana had overwhelmed his usual thoughts. A slight feeling of guilt subsumed him, as he wondered how Thor got on, and if their father and mother were well.

He had been lax in his duty in that respect. On the other hand, his work with the tesseract could only help Asgard and his brother. But his promise to Odin weighed heavily on his heart.

His gaze fell on Jane, strong, beautiful, brilliant Jane, and he wondered how he had ever thought her inferior to him. She was the only creature who held power over him. If she had begged him, he would not leave her side.

But she would never beg. Well, not unless he made her do it, and that pleasure he reserved for their hours spent sunk in the warmth of her bed.

A wicked smile adorning his lips, he led the still bantering quartet into the main hangar bay, to find the Aesir already assembled, already in their armour, patiently awaiting their Prince.

With barely a thought, he conjured his armour, golden light shrouding his arms, legs and torso for one moment before it cleared, revealing him in all his glory.

Jane ran her eyes over his body, strong, tall, powerful and hoped with all her heart that he would come back. She knew she shouldn't underestimate him, and God knew she had learned not to, but…

She wouldn't be human if she didn't worry.

Loki felt her gaze as he always did, like a hot torch pressed to his skin, even through the layers of his leathers and armour. He turned and met her gaze, smiling reassuringly. Normally, such worry might have irritated him, might have led him to believe that he was being found wanting, as he had been for so many centuries.

But not with Jane. Jane's worry, her concern, was just a facet of her love, and that thought empowered him and soothed his annoyance.

She returned his smile, hiding her emotions, and he marvelled at her strength. Cautiously, he extended a tendril of magic, brushing it against her own, in her mind, and she shivered slightly.

* * *

Fandral watched this wordless communion between the mortal and his old friend, their eyes burning with the intensity of their bond. The air all but flamed with it, perceptible to even the least magically talented among the Aesir.

He smiled to himself even as he bid goodbye to his own lover, smoothing back her dark hair and kissing her passionately after a stern threat to come back alive or she would use her mysterious, rather strange looking contraption called a 'taser' on him when next they met.

"My Prince," he reluctantly interrupted the couple, who were still deep in their wordless gaze, the God turning to look at Fandral with an irritated glare. "We must go if we are to rendezvous with Stark."

"Very well," he sighed. "Get the men onboard. I will be along shortly."

Fandral bowed and moved away with one final press of Darcy's hand.

* * *

Loki turned back to Jane, retracting his magic carefully, not wishing to rile her own. Her control was still shaky at best, and he would need to work closely with her if they were to combine their magicks to forge the tesseract into a weapon.

He bent his head, kissing her one last time, her lips and her passion all too addictive as his lips lingered. It was she who pushed him away, with a gentle smile.

"Go on," she told him. "Before Fandral comes back and drags you away. Just make sure you come back, or I'll drag you back from hell myself."

"Understood," he grinned, devilishly, backing away. His emerald cloak flared around him as he turned and entered the Quinjet without looking back. Darcy came to Jane's side, and huffed discontentedly.

"Staying behind sucks," she muttered.

* * *

Loki stood in the cockpit, looking out over the desolate landscape as they soared over the deserts. He smiled to himself as he thought over all that had happened since arriving on Midgard.

How much he had changed.

He remembered when Father had told them the story of Laufey's defeat and the subjugation of Jotunheim. A part of him had wondered why the All-Father had even bothered wasting so many Aesir to protect the weak and feeble humans, tiny, puny creatures whose lives were as insignificant as they were short.

He was an Aesir, a Prince. His power, when compared to theirs, knew no bounds and soon would be augmented by that of the tesseract. And yet…

His preconceptions about mortals, about humanity, were no longer accurate. Their lifespans did not make them weak, nor did their fragility make them despicable in his eyes any longer. If anything, those qualities made their constant survival all the more miraculous and praiseworthy.

And it could not be denied that they possessed technologies and knowledge that rivalled some areas of Asgard. Not magic, since that appeared to be a lost art except in anomalies such as Morgana and Jane. But such inventions such as Stark's Iron Man, the helicarrier Fury had shown him, currently utilised over central Europe to aid the resistance efforts there, and others, fuelled by their desire to survive, made them unique.

Jane was unique.

How she kept going, how she suffered so much and yet remained strong and determined, focussed and still so imaginative when her world had fallen around her ears…that was the true strength and hope of humanity.

Now he understood. With the power the Aesir wielded, came the responsibility to use it to protect and to nurture.

Now at last he understood his father's care and protection of them, the lives and the blood he had spilled for them, and knew that if asked, he would lay his life down.

For Jane's sake.

Fandral came to his side, grim, quiet and Loki knew he had a fellow brother there, in the Aesir's love for Darcy Lewis. Another surprising, if somewhat irritating, mortal woman.

But then he had found Jane infuriating in the beginning, confused as he had been by his fascination and attraction. She was a sun to which he gravitated, heat and love and fiery lust to which he gladly surrendered.

The pair smiled, and Fandral opened his mouth.

"Don't say it," Loki growled warningly, as Fandral's eyes twinkled but he closed his mouth again. Neither needed to speak to know what the other was thinking, ironic and teasing.

How the mighty have fallen.


	16. On The Sidelines

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Violence, sexual content.

Chapter Playlist: 'One Way Trip' from 'Avengers Assemble' and 'Aslan Appears' from 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'.

* * *

_One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life:_

_The word is love.'_

_**- Sophocles**_

* * *

Jane forced herself to refrain from biting her nails as she stood in the control room, listening to the communication lines, to the incoming reports and watched the red dots on the touch screens, which represented the transports and reinforcements, as they slowly moved closer to the base.

Tony's voice frequently came on the line, followed by Steve's, Clint's and Natasha's. They sounded tired, but calm, and Jane impatiently waited for Loki's voice to come, feeling Darcy fidget beside her.

Maria glanced at them from where she stood by Fury's side, her gaze cool but sympathetic. Quickly, she paced towards them.

"Jane," she murmured quietly. "Are you sure you should be here?"

"There's no way I'm going anywhere else," Jane replied tersely. Approval sparked in Maria's eye, but she didn't offer any reassurance. Jane was grateful for that.

"Count me out," Darcy added in agreement.

Maria opened her mouth to speak but the sudden burst of radio chatter drew Jane's attention.

"Outrider to base! Outrider to base!" Steve's strained voice came over the line, as Jane froze with dread. "We've come under heavy attack-"

"Like we weren't before!" Tony's voice interrupted. "We're getting trampled out here!"

"Yeah, thanks a lot Stark," Jane could hear the exasperation in Steve's tired voice. "We're pinned down about two kilometres from base. Two Skrull warships, about fifty Skrull all told."

"What about Frost Giants?" Fury asked, leaning forward, his brow tightly furrowed.

"Nope. Too damn hot for them," Stark interjected, his voice collapsing into a rush of static as he swore loudly, and the sound of gunfire erupted on his end. "Oh, no. No, I'm ok. Wolverine took care of that guy for me."

"Am I to understand the X-Men have been assisting you? I thought they were in Europe," Fury sighed heavily, his eyes darting across the screens in front of him. Jane could almost imagine Stark's annoyed roll of the eyes.

"Just Wolverine and Storm. They were with the Canadians," he explained. "Finally!"

"Sir, the reinforcements have arrived," Steve interrupted Tony's wearying complaints. "You didn't tell me you were sending the Aesir?"

"Loki offered. I agreed," Fury replied shortly. "Keep me posted, Captain."

"Yes, sir," Steve breathed. "Outrider out."

Jane heaved a sigh of relief to know that Loki had arrived, but it seemed that her previous fear simply transmuted to another one. It felt like a hundred ants were crawling over her skin, burrowing into her muscles, itching to do something, anything.

Her magic was going haywire too. She could feel it, like a burgeoning rush in her head, pressing against her skull. It was driving her mad, making her pace backwards and forwards, trying her hardest to hold it back.

The last thing she needed was for it to explode right in Fury's face.

Suddenly one of the red dots on the screen went out, and Jane's heart leapt into her throat.

"It's ok, Jane," Darcy whispered soothingly, somehow sensing her distress, rubbing her arm. "I'm sure it's not Loki. He's fine."

Jane could hear Darcy's own fear for Fandral in her words, almost as she were reassuring herself. She shrugged off her hand, and rushed to Fury's side as he tried to make contact, but communications were difficult and wavering.

"Stark? Outrider? Romanov? Barton? Does anyone copy?" he barked into his earpiece.

Finally someone spoke, as Jane waited in an agony of anticipation.

"This is Agent Romanov! I copy!" Natasha's tired voice came over the line. "We're under heavy attack. The Aesir are covering us but there are too many. We need backup!"

"Copy that! ETA ten minutes, can you hold out that long?" he asked, already looking to Maria who nodded.

"I think so. Romanov out," the flame-haired agent replied shortly.

Jane decided not to think too hard about what she was about to do. She stepped forward.

"Director, I volunteer as backup," she told him firmly. He stopped and stared at her, his one eye boring into hers.

"Need I remind you, Miss Foster, you are not military personnel, nor are you combat experienced. Stay out of this," he told her harshly. She refused to budge.

"With all due respect, Director," she snapped, eying him coolly. Unbeknownst to her, she mirrored Loki's favourite haughty glare and stance as she stared the Director down. "I can hold a gun and have some training. I can help. And if you don't let me go with Agent Hill, I'll go by myself."

Fury sighed, his voice like broke glass. "Fine," he snapped back. "On your own head be it!"

Jane was slightly surprised by Fury's quick capitulation, as she turned away and followed Hill from the control room, accompanied by Darcy.

A slightly chilling thought occurred to her. Now they had Loki and Stark working on the tesseract, she was suddenly rather more expendable than before. So what did it matter if she got herself killed? There was always more scientists to assist Loki if the worst should happen…

Smirking cynically to herself, she made herself walk faster, ignoring the sudden surge of dread in her stomach.

"You are absolutely mad," Maria told her curtly. "Just make sure you take cover and stay out of the enemy's sights. You'll need to suit up."

Jane nodded.

"Like one of Natasha's suits? Cool!" Darcy's eyes widened, as the two older women glanced to her bemusedly. "What? You think I'm letting you go alone? Think again."

"Just make sure to tell your boyfriends that I had nothing to do with this," Maria told them, as they entered the armoury. "I don't want to be in the firing line when they find out Fury let you go."

Darcy laughed nervously. "I thought SHIELD agents were meant to be brave," she teased the older woman as she led them towards a storage room.

"Brave doesn't mean stupid. Never put yourself in the line of fire recklessly," Maria replied, smiling slightly. "Or without need."

"I have need, believe me," Jane murmured tightly. Maria glanced to her, and her smile faded slightly.

"I know," she breathed. "That's why, against my better judgement, I'm not locking you in a cell for your own good."

They lapsed into a tense silence as they swapped their civilian clothing for the black, fitted jumpsuits that Maria and Natasha habitually wore. They fitted like a second skin, cool and light, making Jane shiver as she slid it on.

She strapped the gun to her hip, taking another on her other side, the unfamiliar weight almost comforting. Darcy looked green beside her, and she almost opened her mouth to suggest she stay behind.

But then she caught the determined glare in her dark eyes, and stopped. She couldn't lecture her about not going when she was doing exactly the same thing.

So she just smiled and squeezed her hand.

* * *

The Quinjet shuddered beneath them as they raced over the desert to the beleaguered convoy. Jane stared at the bulkhead in front of her, her gun in her hands, her hair tightly pulled back, and out of her face.

"Alright!" Maria called from the cockpit. "Listen up!"

The men and women around Jane sat up straighter, Darcy going tense beside her. Jane looked up, eyes focusing almost glaringly on Maria, as the senior agent stood from her seat.

"We go in, we provide covering fire," she barked. "We get the convoy out. No heroics, no messy skirmishing. I want it quick and clean. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the squad chorused, Jane murmuring quietly. Maria stepped closer to the two civilians, bending down to them.

"I want you two to stay out of the thick of it," she told them quietly. "You won't be able to stay on the jet, it'll be too much of a target. Take cover and just keep shooting until I or someone comes for you."

"Got it," Darcy muttered. Jane could only nod, her throat too tight for words. Maria eyed them piercingly, before inclining her head and turning away.

Swallowing down the sudden rush of panic, Jane forced herself not to think about the sheer stupidity of her actions and just think about what she had come to do.

Help. Protect the man she loved instead of standing on the sidelines all the time.

She pulled her gun from its holster, sliding the magazine into place and flicking the safety catch off.

She could only hope her aim was good enough this time.

* * *

Loki lazily ducked as a blast from a Skrull energy weapon came his way, before flicking his hand indolently towards the alien, throwing him back with a wave of energy.

He felt the ripple of air as another Skrull foolishly tried to sneak up on him from behind, its alien fist crashing towards his face. He caught it and twisted, the monster screaming in pain, before he spun and slammed a dagger into its abdomen.

All around him, chaos reigned. So naturally he was in his element.

As the monster collapsed to its knees, he looked up to see the reinforcements arrive, just as he had to duck as a leather-suited man with claws jumped over his head.

The mysterious Wolverine.

"Watch it there, Rudolf," he snapped gruffly, smirking as Loki just rolled his eyes. What was it about this helmet that mortals found so amusing? And what in Valhalla did 'Rudolf' mean anyway?

The mutant rushed away again, back into battle, and Loki did the same. He glimpsed Fandral more than holding his own not far away, Stark flying around, drawing enemy fire and concentrating on diverting the Skrull fighters closing in on their position.

Carefully, he cast his mind out but he could not sense Amora or Morgana. However, he could sense…

His eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath. The Quinjet landed, SHIELD agents rushing from the back, as he started towards it grimly.

A Skrull leapt into his path, but he shoved it aside with all the full force of his magic and strength. It crumpled like a tin can.

He was not in a good mood.

Above him, the sky was darkening as the mutant known as Storm worked her power, calling forth a mist which draped the battling Aesir, humans and Skrull, making it harder for them to fire. Stark made sure to protect her, colliding with several fighters in order to save her from a blast.

As he ruthlessly fought his way towards the Quinjet, his mind whirled. What in Valhalla's name was she doing here? More to the point, why had Fury allowed her?

"Loki! To your left!" Captain America's strained, battle-weary shout pulled him from his brooding, and he summoned a shield in time to deflect the energy blast. Wordlessly, he sent it back, snarling slightly as it flattened his enemy like paper.

Looking towards the blue-suited soldier, he nodded once. His relationship with the Captain remained frosty, if cordial.

He spotted a black-suited figure through the mist that he knew very well. Gritting his teeth, he threw himself towards her, his hand clamping around her fragile arm.

* * *

Jane had thrown herself into the fight with a ferocity which surprised her. The few times she had been in a gunfight before, it had been merely to survive long enough to get to safety. She had never sought out enemies, just shot those who were directly in her path.

Now, she was exchanging shots with any Skrull. She glanced to the left, and saw one raise its staff, aiming at Steve. She raised her gun and fired.

The Skrull collapsed, a burning hole in its reptilian forehead.

Her magic still pounded an angry tattoo against the inside of her skull, yearning for release. She fought it back through gritted teeth.

She glanced around for Darcy and found her taking cover behind a totalled SUV, peering around the back bumper, ducking a few energy blasts. She glimpsed Fandral, raising his head as if called, as he looked directly at Darcy, his blonde hair ruffled, dishevelled, his face marred by blood and soot.

Anger played across his face, and disbelief. He swooped beneath a Skrull's jab with its staff, twirling his rapier and driving it deep into its back as he fought his way to Darcy's side.

Jane looked around for Loki, desperate to find him, but she couldn't see him. Her magic was so distressed, she couldn't even feel his either…

No. He wasn't dead, she told herself. She needed to be calm, to control herself. He wasn't dead.

Suddenly a warm hand clamped down on her elbow, and she froze. Instinctively, she spun around, raising her elbow to hit her assailant's face as Natasha had taught her once, until it was blocked by a very hard, gauntleted arm, yanking it down roughly.

She met burning green eyes, and relief washed over her.

Loki was alive.

Her magic reached for him without thought, seeking his warmth, his comfort. There was none.

He was icy, cold, yet his touch burned through her jumpsuit, the fabric transmitting his body heat as efficiently as if she had been standing next to a heater.

"What in Valhalla's name are you doing here?" he snarled, pulling her down as more Skrull fire came their way.

"Hey, nice to see you too," she snapped back, before leaning away from him and peering around the overturned vehicle, bringing her gun up. Her first shot missed, but the second caught her target in the shoulder, forcing it to the ground. A moment later Natasha appeared, finishing the Skrull off with a snap of its neck.

Loki grabbed her back, into his arms, forcing her head down as he sent out a wave of crackling viridian energy towards the remaining Skrull, destroying them utterly.

He was going to take great pleasure in slowly, excruciatingly murdering Fury with his own hands, for letting Jane into the field. Memories of the damage the Skrull had inflicted upon her, when they first met, flashed across his mind, making him wince.

Suddenly the earpiece in Jane's ear crackled into life, Maria Hill's strong, commanding voice giving the order to fall back.

He grabbed Jane's arm, hauling her towards one of the Quinjets, ducking stray blasts as the fog called by Storm dissipated.

Adrenaline rushed through Jane, her heart pounding as she leapt inside the jet's interior, followed by Loki. To her relief, Darcy and Fandral were already inside, along with Steve and Natasha, and several others.

However there were many wounded, and with a sinking heart Jane saw Clint on a stretcher, a bloody hole in his combat suit, his side clearly burned by a Skrull energy weapon.

Natasha paled as she rushed to her friend and partner's side, but she showed little emotion otherwise. Maria rushed to the pilot's seat, another SHIELD agent taking shotgun. With a jolt, Jane swayed as the jet took off, flanked by Tony in his Iron Man suit and Storm. More shots jostled the craft, but Jane stayed upright, mostly thanks to Loki's strong hand holding her up.

* * *

Jane purposely avoided Loki once the Quinjet had landed, helping Maria and Natasha organise the casualties, highly aware of the burning gaze centred between her shoulder blades all the while.

She was walking down a corridor, headed for her room. She was covered in ash and dirt from the fight, and she wanted a shower.

She needed calm, peace. Ever since she had found Loki in the middle of that fight, her magic had been buzzing around like a nest of angry wasps. She was on the verge of exploding, if she didn't get away somewhere quiet.

She knew Fandral had dragged Darcy off somewhere the moment they landed, his face stormy, darkened by anger and disbelief. She shuddered when she thought of what was probably occurring between them right now.

And as for Loki…

Tentatively, not wishing to overtax her strength, in case her magic decided to go AWOL, she reached out, searching for him.

She could sense only darkness and cold. Shivering, she was unprepared when a hard, familiar arm slipped around her waist, shoving her against a wall.

She had a moment's warning as Loki bent his head to hers, kissing her heatedly, leaving no room for argument. She whimpered, clinging to him, his quiet, uncontrolled moan sending an icy shiver down her spine.

Loki's kiss only intensified in desire, as he felt her body sink against his. Now they were safe, all the desperate fear and rage and poisonous terror rushed to the surface. Fear that he would lose her, rage that she had _**dared**_ to follow him, that Fury had let her; and terror when he had first seen her, crouched among the detritus of battle, gun held aloft.

He could only imagine what an argument Fandral and Darcy were having now.

He opened the jumpsuit, just a little, freeing a sliver of skin for him to mark, filled with an irresistible urge to hold her close, to love her there and then in the corridor and damn anyone watching!

Jane shuddered violently, pressing herself into him, gasping for breath. Abruptly, Loki's hands shot out, slamming into the wall either side of her, making her jump from the suddenness of it.

He tore his lips from her skin, the taste of ash and sweat and _**Jane**_ on his tongue, closing his eyes, forcing himself to regain control. He could feel her magic, wild, steadily growing unruly, his own not much better.

"Why, in the name of all that is sacred, did you put yourself in so much danger?" he demanded, his voice a low growl. Jane blinked, forced herself to think.

"I told you," she breathed, her voice as quiet as his, but hoarse from his kiss. "I won't sit on the sidelines anymore. I can hold a gun, I can fight. I'm not that bad a markswoman."

"Jane," he hissed, turning away, forcing his magic down as it pulsed angrily inside of him. "That is not good enough. Not for me. Don't you dare ever do that again!"

Anger replaced desire in Jane, as she drew herself up, wishing she was taller.

"You have no right to tell me what to do!" she snapped, turning away to walk towards her room, as her magic roiled and rolled inside of her like a storm-tossed sea. "I went out there to _**help**_! I didn't want to sit on the sidelines like some fairytale princess waiting for her prince to come back!"

"Jane!" he followed, his own anger rising even as he felt her magic growing ever stronger as her emotions ran higher.

"NO!" she shouted. "Don't start with that I-am-a-God-you-will-do-as-I-say routine! Nothing you can do or say will make me regret going out there to protect the man I love!"

Ordinarily, the admission, _**at last**_, that she loved him might have stopped Loki in his tracks, but instead it only enflamed his fear and his anger. If she loved him then she really was too precious to lose. And what if her magic had broken free? Exposed her to Fury before they were ready?

"This has nothing to do with that," he retorted furiously. "This is to do with the fact that you wilfully put yourself in danger, to protect _**me**_? I do not need it, Jane!"

"And who shoved you out of the way of that Skrull's sights, the night we met?" she rounded on him, her eyes alight with fury, setting them aflame. "Sure, you don't need protecting at all!" she snapped sarcastically, turning away.

She had said she loved him. Damn it, she hadn't meant to but her temper was running high and with it, her control was hanging on a knife edge. Her head was pounding.

"Jane-"

"NO!" she shouted, spinning to face him when she felt his hand close around her elbow. It was the last straw.

Her magic, unleashed and empowered by the strength of her emotions, rushed from her in a great wave, lifting Loki bodily into the air and throwing him against the opposite wall, leaving a great dent there.

Horrified, panting from exertion, Jane raised a hand to her mouth, feeling bile rise in her throat. She collapsed against the wall outside her room, eyes wide, her feet paralysed as Loki stood from his fall.

She did not miss the wince of pain as he stood straight.

She lowered her hands, staring at them, at the slender, fragile fingers, pale, almost translucent where she spent so much time indoors.

"What's happening to me?" she breathed, trembling as all the emotions of the day rushed up on her, too much for her to handle.

Loki looked up at that terrified whisper, feeling his own heart break at the sheer fear in her voice. All his anger dissipated as he slowly lowered himself to his knees in front of her, taking her in his arms.

He carefully sent out his magic, soothing hers, calming her over strung nerves as she sighed and relaxed into him.

That power he had sensed, so wild, so untamed, so strong, had actually managed to fracture his ribs with the force she had unknowingly used to throw him into that wall. Wordlessly, he used a spell to repair the dent as he held Jane in his arms.

"That's a neat trick," she said quietly, into his chest.

"I will teach it to you one day," he promised her, stroking her hair as she looked up at him.

"I hurt you," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

His ribs were already healing, thanks to his advanced physiognomy. Gently, he kissed her again, stoking the fire between them, distracting her from the fear and the pain he could see in her eyes.

And the fear and pain he suspected were mirrored in his.

"Come," he murmured when he finally raised his head. "You need a bath and rest."

He effortlessly lifted her into his arms, her thin arms clinging to him tightly as he shouldered his way through the door to her room. He locked it with magic, and let her down, her slender curves sliding down his body, that damned jumpsuit sensuously rubbing against his armour.

It clung to every curve, thin as she was, and he could feel the warmth of her body through it, inviting, impossibly tempting. He leant in to kiss her, needing to reassure himself that she was well, alive, with him. She returned it with equal fervour, equal ardour until both were gasping for breath.

"You need to rest," he breathed, as if reminding himself of that fact, releasing her reluctantly. "I'll be back shortly."

Jane watched him go silently, still too shocked by her sudden loss of control to say much, and the need she felt for Loki as he left the room, a need she saw in his own eyes.

Sighing, trying not to think too hard about what had just occurred, she turned away to the bathroom. It was true, she needed a shower.

* * *

Things had settled down by the time Loki returned to Jane's room, the lights off. He slipped inside silently, his eyes searching out the barely discernible outline of Jane beneath the covers of her bed. He had just spent a delightful hour terrifying the living daylights out of Fury for his folly. It had been all too enjoyable.

He could smell the scent of her freshly washed body and hair, still wet, and it made his heart beat quicker. Her deep, regular breathing told him she slept, and he made sure to remain silent as he magically removed his clothing, approaching the bed.

She lay on her side away from him, both hands slid beneath her pillow, her damp hair haphazardly arranged around her shoulders. He felt his heart constrict at the sight of her so peaceful, so vulnerable.

He let his anger fade, into unimportance, as he carefully slipped into bed beside her, cradling her against his naked chest, pressing a kiss to her temple.

He remembered her words from their argument earlier, and they warmed him now. The man she loved, she had said. Loved.

His lips quirked as words fell from his mouth that he long told himself he would never say.

"You might fear losing me," he whispered against her hair. "But not half as much as I fear losing you, dearest."

She had bewitched him entirely. She was the true Enchantress on this world, the only woman who had captured his mind and body for centuries, and she held them in a grip of iron.

He sighed through his teeth when he felt the barrier of fabric between his hand and her skin. Pyjamas.

The blasted woman, what was she thinking! With a wicked grin, Loki made her sleepwear disappear, tenderly holding her when she shifted in her sleep due to the change. He was loath to wake her, so he just shifted lower in the bed beside her, his smile deepening from wicked to soft when he felt her squeeze his hand in slumber.

There was still issues to be sorted out between them, but that could wait for another day. For now, he let himself simply bask in the truth that they were both alive and together, as he closed his eyes and slipped into sleep, limbs entwined with the woman he loved.

* * *

The crystalline waters shone, casting a sickly glow over Morgana's face, as she stared down at the enchanted liquid, smiling when she saw Loki, fighting beside the Avengers.

Her smile only deepened when she saw the mortal, Jane Foster, appear, inexpertly wielding her paltry little guns, and the obvious concern with which Loki pulled her from harm's way.

It had only been a test, this attack. To see if Loki would emerge once more from his hiding place, and leave the tesseract and his mortal pet unprotected.

And he had. Although the Foster girl's appearance had been unexpected, it was not troublesome. Somehow she doubted he would allow his little mortal to throw herself into the fray again. He himself would put Jane Foster into her reach.

Morgana stood from her seat at the pool, in the darkened cave she used for her clandestine experiments, away from Amora, and relished the ever closer prospect of success.


	17. Be Careful What You Wish For

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Some minor sexual content and innuendo.

Chapter Playlist: 'Love Remembered' from 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'.

* * *

'_Everybody's got a dark sideDo you love me?_

_Can you love mine?'_

_**- 'Dark Side' Kelly Clarkson**_

* * *

Jane slowly awoke, blissfully stretching, surrounded by muscled warmth. As her mind sluggishly awoke, she frowned when she felt a smooth palm glide across her bare stomach.

She'd been sure she had put sweats on last night…

Then Loki's lips pressed against the rise of her shoulder, laying a trail of scorching hot kisses along her neck, lingering on her cheek as she came fully awake.

"Well, good morning to you too," she smiled, opening her eyes and looking over her shoulder at him. "I'm vaguely certain I was wearing clothes last night…"

"Only vaguely certain?" he asked, tipping her onto her back beneath him, pressing his lips to hers. She shivered, reaching up to bury her hands in his hair.

"Oh, no, no you don't," she muttered breathlessly, yanking her head away from him, squirming out from beneath him as he shifted his hips against hers. "We've got things to talk about, and now you're just trying to distract me!"

"Am I expected to refute that?" he asked, leaning back on the thin pillows with a sigh. Jane rolled her eyes as she switched on a lamp, snatching a spare t-shirt from her chest. "My lady, you torment me."

"And _**you**_, my Prince, are far too arrogant for your own good," she retorted. Loki only smiled, waving his hand lazily. She felt the fabric of her t-shirt melt away, and she sighed, knowing she was now as naked as she had been when she had left their bed. "Care to tell me how you can do this?"

Loki sighed, his eyes raking over her figure. "The theory is simple enough," he replied slowly, his smirk growing as he noticed a blush descending from her face as his eyes trailed down her body and back up again. "When I conjure inanimate objects away, they simply vanish into nothingness. And when something becomes nothing, it becomes everything."

Jane frowned, as he waited, wondering if she would be able to work out his clue. Her face cleared and a wicked smile, equal to his own, brightened her face. "You mean you simply disperse the molecules of whatever you're vanishing, into the air," she mused. "And then you can reconstitute them again. That's how you store your armour!"

"Exactly," Loki smiled, amused by her enthusiasm. Jane caught his eye and smirked as he frowned. He felt the rise of her magic, gentle, controlled this time and sighed in a put upon way when her t-shirt reappeared on her body, albeit missing one shoulder.

"Hmm," Jane frowned, looking at the missing part of the garment. "Needs work."

"It will come, in time," he breathed. "Now if you have quite finished spoiling the view, I thought you wanted to talk?"

Jane's smile turned impish as she looked back to him, as she approached the bed again. "Yes, we do," she murmured, seriously despite her smile.

Loki sighed, reaching out and pulling her to him, forcing her to sit on the side of the bed beside him, to avoid falling over him. He stroked her mussed hair back from her face, smiling slightly when she nuzzled into his palm.

"Jane," he began softly. "When I saw you, in the middle of that battle, do you know what I felt?"

She didn't answer, but her eyes were questioning.

"Sheer, chilling _**fear**_," he replied, steadily, forcing the words out despite how much his sense of self-preservation demanded he take them back. "Fear that I'd lose you, that you would be hurt and this time I could not heal you."

"That's exactly what _**I **_felt," she told him firmly. "While I was standing in the control room, listening to the reports coming in, looking at the convoy's progress on the screen, hoping against hope that when one of the red dots went out, it wasn't your jet that had been taken down. And don't give me that spiel about not needing protection. I don't care if you think you don't, because I will always worry for you."

"Because you love me," he finished for her, as she tensed beside him. "Do not shut me out, love. Do not fear what you feel."

"I told you, I don't believe in all that stuff about love at first sight and soul mates and everything. This is new and absolutely terrifying," she whispered, looking down at her hands, resting on his chest.

"For me as well, dearest," he replied, tipping her head back up, to meet his eyes. "Just promise me you will not throw yourself into danger again, not for me."

Jane met his eyes, soft jade, and melted. "Ok," she whispered. "If you promise not to put yourself into too much danger either."

"Insofar as I am able," he inclined his head, his lips threatening to lift into a smirk, as Jane glared at him.

"Then I promise, insofar as _**I **_am able," she retorted, and his eyes narrowed, hardening.

"That will never hold," he grumbled, and she just smiled.

"Nope," she chuckled. Loki's eyes narrowed, and without warning, he took her by the waist and flung her down on the bed beside him, rolling to trap her with his body.

"You, my lady, are a highly aggravating, impertinent mortal," he sighed, his voice strained as she shifted her body against him. "And yet, I love you, my Jane."

It was the first time he had said those exact words, making Jane still beneath him. She licked her dry lips, meeting his viridian eyes, seeing sincerity shining there.

"And I love you too," she breathed. She reached up, kissing him deeply, pouring all the feelings inside of her into the embrace. He took voraciously, pressing her into the bed, making her moan against his lips. His hands slid past her thin t-shirt, when he felt it disappear from her body.

He smiled as he broke the kiss for one moment. "See, you are already improving," he whispered huskily. Jane rolled her eyes.

"Does that silver tongue of yours ever quit?" she replied, pulling his lips back to hers.

"You like my silver tongue, love," he hissed as she deliberately undulated against him, laughing when he pinned her down more securely.

"Well, then stop talking and put it to good use," she replied archly, the need she had repressed since they'd returned to base reaching breaking point. His eyes flashed, and neither spoke again when their lips met, urgently, without any attempt at softness.

* * *

"I don't think I will ever learn to control my magic," Jane breathed , nestled in Loki's arms, the covers drawn up around them both. "How long did it take you?"

"It has taken centuries to hone my control," he admitted, stroking her soft hair meditatively. "At least to the degree with which I now wield it. I also had instruction from some of the most powerful sorcerers in the Nine Realms."

"Well, that's me screwed," she huffed, making Loki chuckle underneath her.

"You have me, my love," he retorted, "and you are learning. Earlier, when you conjured away your clothing? What did you feel?"

"I don't know, I…" Jane frowned, thinking back, or trying to, but all her memories prior to exactly five minutes ago were swathed in a delicious, pleasurable haze. One upshot of having a Norse God for a lover, she supposed. "I felt…calm. Relaxed. I wasn't overwhelmed."

"Then the next time you experiment with your magic, remember that feeling," he told her. "Feeling is the cornerstone of magic, but it is nothing without control. When you feel your magic becoming too much to bear, remember that feeling."

"Tell me about Asgard," she murmured, feeling him tense slightly beneath her. "What is it like?"

She listened while he told her about Asgard, in his low, soothing, velvet tones. About the towering palaces made of shining gold, the quiet forests with their canopy of jade leaves, the azure ocean on the very borders of the Realm, all beneath an ever-shining tapestry of stars and galaxies.

"It sounds beautiful," she sighed, relaxing against him as his fingers traced the ridges of her spine, the touch pleasurable, making her shift beneath his hand like a cat.

"Yes, it is beautiful there. I have found little to compare with Asgard in all my years," Loki replied, quietly. "It is called the Realm Eternal and I swore long ago that I do my duty to ensure it remains so."

"Is that why you're so worried about your brother's rule?" she asked, looking up at him. He met her dark eyes, and exhaled heavily.

"My brother is strong, and at heart good, but he thinks too much of glory. He acts before he thinks," he replied slowly. "I love my brother dearly, but I know what he is."

"I'm sure things will turn out all right," Jane murmured, pushing herself up in his arms, smiling softly. "And even if they do not, he has you, after all."

"I considered disrupting my brother's coronation somehow, to show Father that he was not ready," he admitted, making Jane look to him, shocked. "You said you knew something of knowing what it is to be overlooked. All my life, Father showed favour to Thor even while he told us we were both born to be Kings. I did not even desire the throne in my brother's stead, merely for Father to see that Thor was not the paragon he, and all of Asgard, believed him to be."

"But you didn't," she rested her chin on his chest, amber eyes fixed on his unblinkingly.

"No, I did not," he whispered, a slow, sad smile softening his regal features, making Jane's heart pound. He looked up to her, as she pulled herself up, leaning on her elbows above him. "And I am glad of it, since if I had not, I might never have come here. To you."

"We all have a dark side, Loki," she murmured. "It's just whether we choose to deny it entirely, embrace it fully or accept it and use it when it's needed."

His fingers stroked along her jaw, making her shudder, even as his fingers slipped down her neck, a wicked smile appearing when he felt her racing pulse.

"Have you decided on an answer yet?" he asked, subtly shifting himself lower in the bed, pressing his hips against hers and making her shudder and gasp. Her eyes searched his, for a moment, confused until realisation dawned.

He was unsurprised when he saw her guilty look. He did not need an answer then, he just wished to remind her of all that he was offering. All that he would give her, that they could have, together, if…_**when**_ she said yes.

"Let me tell you of what will happen when you say yes," he told her huskily, pulling her down to kiss him once, twice before rolling her over onto her back, his magic rising with his lust. "Once Amora and Morgana are defeated, I will return the tesseract to Asgard, and you will come with me. We will spend a few weeks in Asgard so I may introduce you to my family and to the Realm as their future Princess."

"We'll travel back to Earth. I have been thinking of asking my brother to set up a permanent…'embassy', do you call it? On Earth and on Asgard, so we may foster good relations between our Realms and offer our assistance in rebuilding your civilisation. Naturally I will bring a delegation back with me to Asgard. I was thinking that introducing Tony and Thor might be rather…amusing."

Jane let out a snort of laughter at that.

"Then we'll be married before the whole of Asgard. We will live how we choose, in the palace, in the forests, in the mountains, sometimes on Earth unless duty calls us home to Asgard. You can visit all you wish, and in Asgard you can study new stars and new constellations all you want. We will have any number of children and…" he paused then, smirking wolfishly down at Jane, who mentally gulped, even as her magic sultrily stretched and purred like a cat in ecstasy. He was spinning a fairytale for her, and she wasn't about to admit how much she wanted it. He lowered his head, brushing the column of her throat with his lips, making her arch upwards into him. "And we will enjoy all the more the conception of our children."

"You've planned this rather well," she breathed, trying to hold onto her sanity. "You can't be sure I'll even say yes."

"Then I will wait until you do," he murmured back, slightly strained as her magic crept along his body, instinctive, there being no need for control now, not in this situation. He smiled in vengeance when she cried out as his own magic caressed her, her breath stuttering against his aching lips. "I am not taking no for an answer, Jane. That future _**will**_ happen. I want it, you want it and so it will be."

"_**If**_ I say yes," she hissed through gritted teeth, struggling to stay sane as he tortured her nerve endings.

"Not _**if**_ but _**when**_, my love," he retorted firmly. "Stubborn woman."

"Arrogant-! God!" she shrieked, making him laugh as he continued to tease her mercilessly.

"You were saying?" he taunted her, her amber eyes flashing with lust and a promise of vengeance.

"If you're so certain we're going to have so many children, shouldn't you practice, my Prince?" she asked tauntingly. "God knows, you need the practice!"

"Do I?" he hissed, his eyes darkening. For one moment Jane uneasily wondered if she had pushed it too far as he bent his head, and she felt his body shift, his hips cradled in hers. "Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe," she whispered, her smile unconsciously seductive as she leaned up, pressing soft kisses to his lips, not quite letting him deepen the embrace, making him growl in frustration. Finally, he grasped a handful of her hair, stopping her game, and kissed her deeply, pressing her into the pillows of the bed, desperation making the pleasure of her sweet surrender all the more intoxicating.

For one moment he allowed himself to pause, her warm breath merging with his in the minute gap between their lips, and he smiled mischievously down at her. "Be careful what you wish for, my love."

* * *

**A/N: Just a little bit of fluff before we get back into drama :)**


	18. The Tesseract

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: None.

Chapter Playlist: 'Padme's Ruminations' from 'Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith'.

* * *

'_Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.'_

_**- Ruth Gordon**_

* * *

"You ready for this?" Tony eyed the God in front of him, the iridium/adamantium composite laid out between them on the work bench. Jane stood beside Loki, looking down at the shining material curiously.

Behind them, through an observation window, stood Fury, Steve, Maria, Fandral, Natasha, a recovering Clint and several members of SHIELD that Jane had never seen before. She guessed they were the governing Council, or at least some of them since quite a few had been killed in the first few months of the war.

Loki had made sure to position both her and himself with their backs to the observation window, as a measure to stop Fury discovering Jane's magic. There were cameras on them, especially after he and Stark had come clean to Fury about the tesseract's capabilities.

He had been surprisingly pragmatic, all things considered. Although maybe he realised he didn't have much choice against such a powerful opponent.

Regardless, if he wished to stop Fury from discovering Jane's magic, then they would need to do this without words. It had taken them a week to gather enough iridium and adamantium, and he had not been idle in that time. He had worked closely with Jane in-between finalising the weapon plans and communicating with his brother on Asgard, via Hogun or Volstagg.

There had been no more attacks but they remained wary. Something in Loki, some deep instinct, warned it would come soon. Amora wanted revenge on Asgard, and if Laufey was her ally, then he would want to see the Realm Eternal in ruins as well.

And he sensed Morgana wanted them both gone, so she could take possession of all the Realms for herself. She was just using them against each other. Clever.

In any case, Jane needed to be ready, and they'd had some success with her magic. She learned more control every day, but they would need to perform this soundlessly. They couldn't risk using a verbal spell and it being picked up on camera in any form, or deciphered by lip readers.

The first step would be the easiest, and for that he did not need Jane's active assistance. He needed to meld and shape the iridium/adamantium composite to their design.

"We're ready to proceed, Director," Tony called through the intercom. Fury did not answer but from Tony's nervous, excited grin Loki surmised he had given his permission.

As if he really needed it.

He met Jane's eyes out of the corner of his, and saw the corner of her lips quirk slightly, as if she guessed his thoughts.

Inhaling deeply, calling on all his strength, he closed his eyes.

Forging objects by magic required a level of concentration it had taken him centuries to learn. He focussed on the image of the Spear in his mind, the long, graceful planes, the golden sheen, the lethal blade. Next, while holding that image firmly in his mind, he painstakingly drew another image to overlap it, that of Stark's design for the Spear in its retracted form.

Holding both images in his mind, he called on his magic, wrapping both images, binding them in the essence of his power.

* * *

Jane's eyes widened as she watched Loki work, his hands splayed out over the metal, green fire licking the edges of his fingers. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and she almost shivered. Tony watched him with a mixture of unease and fascination.

The green fire in his hands grew and grew until they were almost obscured by it. Jane forced back her gasp, making a mental note to ask him what he had done later, as the fire engulfed the iridium/adamantium, and Loki exhaled heavily.

Tony jumped back as the green fire leapt higher and higher, and Jane could hear worried voices over the intercom behind her, demanding to know what was going on.

Loki dragged in another breath, his face pale, his eyes almost feverishly bright. With a sudden graceful flick of his splayed hands, the fire extinguished, leaving behind a long, graceful staff, its sheen of mixed gold and silver, its surface etched with graceful designs she guessed were Asgardian runes. The curved blade at the top looked deadly.

"Spells," he murmured, unconsciously correcting her, noticing her arrested gaze. "To bind and protect. Once the tesseract is in place, they will help to prevent it from destroying the staff. Now."

He waved a hand down its length, and the staff shortened into something almost resembling a sceptre.

"That is beyond cool," Tony breathed.

"Thank you for that in depth analysis, Stark," Fury sighed through the intercom. "Are we ready to proceed to Phase 2?"

Wordlessly, Loki glanced at Jane, holding her gaze. She stiffened slightly, but moved imperceptibly closer.

_**Just follow my lead, love…**_

She felt his comforting voice in her head, and she took a deep breath. It was true, she had gained more control since the wall incident, but she still felt a long way off from feeling comfortable using her power.

Tony brought forward the briefcase housing the tesseract, opening it to reveal the iridescent cube. Jane could feel its power calling like a cold breeze.

Loki gathered his strength. The second step was the most difficult and the most dangerous. If he could have done, he would not have brought Jane into this, but it was necessary for the tesseract to accept her as a mistress as well as himself as master.

Gently he touched Jane's mind, easing her magic from her mind, showing her it was safe to do so. He entwined it with his own, and focussed all his power on the tesseract.

Jane supposed what they were doing was akin to having a great big, lit up neon sign, saying 'we come in peace'. If anyone had told her she was going to be stood beside a Norse God, her lover, who wanted to marry her and take her away to a mythological realm, using _**magic**_…she'd have told them to stay on the meds.

But here she was.

When she felt Loki's magic intertwine with hers, she shuddered. Her world became one purely of sensation and memory.

She supposed it was fitting that Loki's magic was personified by the colour green. There was a…chill to it though, like standing in a forest in winter, while a cold breeze blows through.

The tesseract stood out in her mind, its power the exact opposite of Loki's. It was hot and burning, pure white, almost too bright to look at.

As if with a sixth sense, she watched as Loki cautiously took his magic and wrapped it around the tesseract, caressing it like he had done her only last night, and remembered pleasure washed over her.

To her slight surprise, she saw a new colour enter the mix, a vibrant dark blue, like the sky just after sunset in the desert. Her magic, she realised.

_**Come, Jane**_, she heard Loki's voice in her head again. _**It is alright, love.**_

Taking a deep breath, as she were about to dive into deep water, she extended her magic and closed her eyes as the tesseract reached for her.

It was like being engulfed in a scalding bath. Jane flinched, wanting to step back, to retreat but she felt Loki's hand take hers, squeezing, easing the pressure and the heat.

_**Steady, my love. It will not be long. Try to breathe, Jane.**_

As if granted permission, she inhaled deeply, cool, recycled oxygen rushing into her lungs, steadying her mind. This time, when she allowed herself to reach out to the tesseract, it did not burn her.

This time, it was like sinking into a warm bath, blissful and enticing. Welcoming.

She felt Loki breathe a sigh of relief beside her. "It is done," he murmured, and she opened her eyes, first meeting Tony's awestruck face, wishing she had a camera to capture the moment, then looking down at the tesseract.

Or rather what the tesseract had become under her and Loki's power. Instead of the cubic object that flashed with white light, it was now round, smooth, and seemed to glow with a deep blue light with flashes of emerald.

Carefully, Loki reached out and took it from its cushioning, cupping it in his hand, a slight smile on his lips. For a moment, Jane saw him differently, like a towering colossus of majesty and power, before the vision faded and he returned to being the Loki she knew and loved.

The tesseract pulsed, and Jane shivered at the sensation as power washed over her, like a balm, soothing her exhaustion.

_**Well done, my love.**_

She smiled slightly at her lover's voice in her head. _**Is it done now? Does it recognise you as its master?**_

_**Her master, actually, Jane. And I am not the only one she recognises as her master…**_

_**Do you think the others suspect anything**_? Jane thought worriedly, as Loki lowered his hand with the tesseract.

_**I can sense nothing. Fear not, love. I will keep you safe, always.**_

Jane held her breath as Loki inserted the tesseract into its…_**her**_ new home, a nest of metal just below the blade of the spear Tony had designed. It flared once, then seemed to settle, as Jane felt her heart slow as the power in the room seemed to dim. She felt Loki's settle back into slumber, and allowed her own to do so.

It was becoming easier with every day.

"It is done, Director Fury," Loki spoke over the intercom, and she frowned when she heard the tiredness in his voice. Not that she was feeling too great either.

"Excellent, Your Highness," he replied tersely. "We commence testing tomorrow at 0800 hours."

As the people in the room above them slowly filed out, Fury giving orders for a constant guard on the tesseract, despite the fact it would now only work for two people, Jane felt the exhaustion creep up on her.

Tony glanced to her worriedly, then to Loki. "Jane doesn't look so great," he murmured quietly. "Perhaps you might wanna get out of here, before she collapses?"

Loki's eyes snapped to Jane, looking pale and worn, and he cursed himself for not noticing. The amount of energy she had expended in helping him today…she was still mostly mortal. He would be more careful of her in future.

* * *

Wordlessly, he led Jane out of the lab while Tony began packing up. He could feel the power of the tesseract almost constantly now, like a trickle of hot water over his skin. He had almost been overwhelmed, so for Jane to have remained so strong…

He smiled and shook his head at his remarkable lover, as she sagged against his stronger frame.

"You did brilliantly today, Jane," he whispered, as they walked carefully down corridors to what had become their room. "Are you alright?"

"Just tired. Really tired," she sighed. She frowned. "My head hurts though, and my knees feel like jelly."

"Well, we cannot have that," he breathed, stopping and stooping to cradle her in his arms.

"Loki!" she barked, shocked by the sudden movement. "I can walk unaided, you know-"

"Oh just accept my help, Jane," he sighed, calling on all his patience. "You're exhausted and it is my job to take care of you."

"Who said?" she asked, even as she relaxed into his arms, prompting a grin to emerge on Loki's stern features. "Quit smiling, you smug alien!"

"A smug alien who loves you and will not see you overexert yourself. You'd better get used to it," he told her coolly, as she rolled her eyes, resting her head in the hollow of his collarbone.

"Only if I say yes," she replied quietly, making Loki inhale deeply in search of patience.

"_**When**_, love, when. And even that won't stop me from taking care of you, so hush, little mortal," he retorted.

"So we're back to 'little mortal' now, are we?" she asked teasingly, and he chuckled.

He reached their room and shouldered his way through, gently laying her on the bed and magically vanishing her boots.

"Ahh, but there is a significant difference," he told her, leaning down to kiss her forehead, then down further, hovering torturously over her lips. "You're my little mortal now."

"Possessive, aren't you?" she rolled her eyes, but smiled as she reached up to kiss him. Desire, as always, rushed through him with a roar, but he kept the caress light, soft. She was too tired.

"Sleep, love. You need it," he told her gently, raising his head. Wordlessly, she reached out to him, pulling him down beside her. He capitulated, pulling her back into his body, his heat wrapping around her like a cocoon, and she sighed blissfully.

She could feel the tesseract in the back of her mind, and Loki, their magic intimately joined, lulling her to sleep more effectively than any Earth lullaby.

Loki looked down on her, stroking her hair, relishing its softness. She had been so very strong and brave today. Even though he knew she was hesitant about her magic, she had given him her support and her power, helped him on the first step to Amora and Morgana's defeat.

And the first step towards their future. He was determined, he would not let her go. There was nothing in this world, or the entirety of the Nine Realms, that could induce him to give her up.

Nothing.


	19. To You, I Will Always Return

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Some minor violence.

Chapter Playlist: 'Live To Rise' by 'Soundgarden'.

* * *

'_I still feel your breath on my skin,_

_I hear your voice, deep within,_

_The sound of my lover, _

_A feeling so strong,_

_It's to you I will always belong.'_

_**- 'I Will Always Return' by Bryan Adams (Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron)**_

* * *

The next morning, Jane sat on a bench in the large storage room that had been converted into a training room and gymnasium for the Avengers and SHIELD personnel.

She watched while Loki, Tony and several SHIELD techies put the tesseract through her paces, supervised by Fury and the other Avengers.

"Pull!" Tony called, and a techie used a modified grenade launcher to throw a target into the air. Loki smirked, and took aim.

The target disintegrated into blue ash a second later.

"Damn, he's good," Natasha whistled appreciatively from beside Jane. "Gives Clint a run for his money."

"Don't let the Hawkeye hear you say that," Darcy chuckled teasingly, her eyes not on Loki, but where her own lover was sparring with Captain America.

The display was impressive, but Jane was unable to take her eyes off of Loki for long. It seemed Fury wanted a demonstration the staff's capabilities as a weapon in battle, so Fandral and Steve paused their sparring so Captain America could have a go at the God of Mischief.

Jane tensed slightly. She knew Steve and Loki were not exactly…friendly, for some reason. She hoped this wouldn't turn into a grudge match.

Watching Loki fight, with the staff, was…oddly intoxicating. She'd lived and worked alongside the Avengers for a year, she'd sat and watched, usually at Darcy's behest, Tony, Steve, Natasha, Clint and other SHIELD personnel train and spar. Natasha had insisted on teaching them some basic self-defence after the Puente Antiguo incident.

None of that had ever affected her like watching Loki fight. He was graceful in the way that a panther or a jaguar is graceful, every move carefully chosen for maximum effect, all part of one great strategy to devastate his opponent. The way he fought was almost like a dance, but a lethal one. It made her heart quicken, her mouth go dry. Damn it, bloody hormones!

Not to mention poor Steve wasn't faring too well. He had held his own against Fandral, but Loki…was in another league altogether. Although it had been interesting to note that Steve's shield could deflect the energy bursts Loki unleashed from the staff.

Or maybe Loki was just pulling his punches, magical and physical.

She was so enthralled that she didn't notice Erik taking a seat beside her until she felt his hand on her arm.

"Jane."

She started, feeling a slight guilt as she turned towards her oldest friend and mentor. Ever since Loki had arrived, they had spent barely any time together lately.

"Hey, Erik," she smiled gently. "How are you doing?"

He smirked, his eyes following hers to where Loki was sparring with Steve. "Good enough. Fury's got me working on other projects now the tesseract is almost finished. I see you've been pretty busy…"

Jane couldn't hide her blush, as she looked down. She burned to tell him about her magic, but she couldn't. "It's been pretty intense," was all she could say.

"Intense, huh?" Erik nodded. "I hope you're being careful, Jane."

"I'm fine, Erik. Never happier," she replied, slightly annoyed by the chiding tone in his voice. Erik looked unconvinced.

"Look, I have to admit that maybe Loki is who he says he is. But he's got to go back someday, and I don't want you getting hurt," he sighed, miserably. "He doesn't give a damn about us, not really, and I don't want you getting too close."

"I won't be," Jane murmured. "Erik…he's asked me to marry him and go back with him to Asgard."

"What?" he snapped. "You can't be serious?"

"Why? Is it so impossible he actually gives a damn, Erik?" Jane asked bitingly. "Because I'm so unlovable?"

"No, Jane but…he's not human! He doesn't care about us, and even if you did say yes, could you really give up everything you care about, here on Earth, for _**him**_?" he growled quietly.

"I wouldn't be giving up everything," she retorted. "With the Bifrost, I could come and go as I wish. Apart from anything else it's the chance of a lifetime! And…I'm in love with him."

"When did you become so naïve?" Erik looked down at his folded hands broodingly.

"When did _**you**_ become such a cynic, Erik?" Jane asked in reply, standing up, blinking back fierce tears of anger. Her magic swelled inside of her, and it took visible effort to shove it back down. "Erik, I love him. He loves me, mad and crazy as it seems in so short a time. Accept that, and just be happy for me, for once."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," Erik sighed. The _again_ hung between them. Jane had never had much luck with men. She looked away and stood to leave.

* * *

Loki skilfully spun the staff around in his hand, blocking a spinning kick from the Captain. Unlike Thor, who preferred using either Mjolnir or his bare hands to fight, he had made himself proficient in using either staves or staffs as weapons, as well as his magic and knives.

The Captain's face was streaked with sweat as he looked for a way to gain the upper hand over Loki, but the God's formidable strength and speed made it near impossible.

Loki felt concern rise when he saw Jane stand from the bench, leaving the gym without so much as a glance in his direction, saw the pain and the resignation in Erik Selvig's face as he watched her.

And he could feel her magic, weakened by her emotions.

His distraction cost him a moment's hesitation, and he recoiled as the Captain's boot collided with his face. The blow did not cause him serious damage, but it angered him as he met the triumphant mortal's gaze.

"We are done here," he snarled, vanishing the staff in a flare of gold. Fury stepped forward, mouth open to protest. "We are _**done**_!" he repeated forcefully, leaving the gym without another glance.

Tony eyed Steve, the unspoken question hanging in the air: _"What's eating him?"_

Jane leant her head against the cool walls of the corridor outside of the gymnasium, letting them soothe her. She felt a warm pair of arms slip around her waist, and shuddered at that familiar embrace.

"Jane, what is it?" he asked, against the shell of her ear. "Tell me."

"Nothing," she protested, turning around in his arms to meet his gaze. "I just needed to get away, before I did something stupid."

"I saw Selvig speaking with you. Is he responsible for this?" Loki asked, dangerously.

"Oh, no you don't," Jane narrowed her eyes at him warningly. "You are not going to punish him, or turn him into a toad, or-"

"A toad, love, really?" Loki scoffed, although she was partially right. "I believe I have rather more class than _**that**_. In any case, I rather think some kind of insect might suit Doctor Selvig better."

"I mean it, Loki. Leave him alone," she snapped, losing patience. "I can fight my own battles."

"Yes, you can," he agreed quietly. "But you don't always have to fight them alone. Not anymore."

"Erik is just…protective. He's seen me getting jerked around by too many guys before. And he still doesn't trust you," she sighed, resting her head on Loki's breastplate. It was cool and smooth beneath her hot cheek, and she relished the sensation. "How are the tests going? I saw you almost flatten poor Steve."

"He deserved it," Loki growled, remembering the niggling suspicions he'd had, ever since he arrived on Earth, about Steve's feelings for Jane.

"Hey, be nice," she told him sternly, looking up at him, her amber eyes wide and serious. "He's been through a lot, sacrificed a lot. And if you're about to get all jealous-possessive on me, just remember I love _**you**_. Not Steve, not anybody else."

"You are a very clever woman, Miss Foster," he murmured huskily, smirking slightly self-deprecatingly as he indeed felt his jealousy abate at her soft, sincere words. "I think our life together will never be dull at this rate, when you deign to accept my offer."

Jane sighed exasperatedly as his lips ghosted over hers. "You are incorrigible," she told him curtly, warmth pooling in her belly. He just grinned wickedly as he kissed her heatedly. She pulled away, panting. "Insatiable as well," she gasped.

"Irresistible, my love," he chuckled as she rolled her eyes.

"You're not _**that**_ good, love," she hissed against his lips, and he glowered down at her.

"Need I remind you exactly how many times you screamed my name last-" Loki began silkily, before they were interrupted by a hastily cleared throat.

They both looked to find Fury watching them coolly, Tony behind him with a grin on his face that promised endless teasing and innuendoes later.

"If you've had a long enough break, _**Your Highness**_," Fury muttered, his voice colder than an iceberg. "I believe we still have some tests to run."

"Indeed, _**Director**_," Loki replied haughtily, drawing himself up but not relinquishing his grip on Jane. "I will return shortly. Please feel free to continue without me."

Fury bristled at that cool dismissal but could do nothing except turn away, back into the gym. Tony sniggered, and opened his mouth.

"Not. A. Word. Tony," Jane snapped, although there was little venom in her voice. "Or I will tell Pepper and Natasha that it was _**you**_ who _**accidentally**_ plastered photos of Natasha in her underwear all over the SHIELD mainframe!"

Tony's face drained of blood. "That was months ago!" he whined, eying her evilly. "You are evil, Foster."

"Revenge is best served cold," she replied sweetly, while Loki was struggling not to burst into laughter beside her at the discomfited billionaire, shifting awkwardly under Jane's stern gaze.

"You're a bad influence on her, big fella," Tony glared at the alien Prince. "She's almost as scary as you."

"Hmm, I have to take that as a compliment," Jane laughed, feeling lighter as the three of them walked back into the gym, Loki's arm securely around her waist.

* * *

A few nights later, while she changed into loose sweats, she looked at herself in the mirror, and smiled.

The tests had gone well. Loki wielded the tesseract like he had been born to do it, and it gave her real hope. A hope for the end of this war, and of Morgana and Amora.

There would be a hell of a cleanup to do, and so much danger of the world destabilising further. So many people missing, killed, displaced or under the effects of Amora's and Morgana's foul magic…

The sheer scale of it boggled her mind.

And so much was still unknown, both personally and in a wider sense. She knew Loki would not rest until he had the answer from her he wanted, and truthfully she ached to say yes, to throw caution to the wind and believe in the fairytale he'd spun for her.

He had been tutoring her quite aggressively in magical arts for a few days, and while she sucked at any kind of aggressive magic, like the kind used in combat, unless she lost her temper like she had that day after the last fight.

She found she liked healing. Loki had shown her a few spells, both verbal and nonverbal, and it was oddly like solving an equation. Find the solution and make it work.

Loki was waiting for her when she left the bathroom, stripped down from his usual armour to his loose shirt and trousers, his body relaxed, uncoiled from its usual regal tension.

"Ready?" he asked, glancing to the door. Taking a deep breath, she called forth her magic, an easy feat now she'd practiced, and that unsettling veil fell over her eyes. Once again, she could feel that dizzying rush of power, the interconnecting links and pieces of the air and the environment around them.

It was child's play to push the lock across with a nudge of several air particles.

"Good," Loki smiled. "We don't need any interruptions, now, do we?"

"What are you teaching me tonight?" she asked, sitting on the bed and crossing her legs. Her eagerness reminded him of a child.

"Well, since you have trouble controlling your magic for combat purposes, I thought to show you a trick of my own, to help you in case you're ever outnumbered and in need of a distraction," he explained. With a twist of his hand, an exact double of him appeared in a golden flare beside him. "Copying."

"Is it a verbal spell, or nonverbal?" she asked, fascinated.

"Nonverbal, I'm afraid," he replied. In magic, words could form a focus for the flow of magic, a direct command giving clarity for the intended action and reaction. It worked in arts like healing or magical transmutations. It was akin to a scientific equation; find the right words, manipulate them successfully, and the action and reaction were the solution.

But for combat, magic required a far more dangerous and wilder approach. Since it was unlikely that a sorcerer would have the time to construct a spell in any battle situation, while being assailed by multiple opponents, some of them magic users themselves, it was both necessary and vital that magic was used without words. However, it required a more intuitive, emotional grasp of one's magic, and it stemmed from that focal point. In battle, the goal was to survive, to be victorious, and that was what many struggled with. Controlling their emotions so only a few ruled, and so focussed the magic, was not easy and it had taken many years of training for Loki to acquire the control and discipline needed to use magic was a weapon in battle.

And since this was a defensive trick, it required similar control. Jane was hopeless at magical attacks, although she had constructed a passable shield the other night. He didn't doubt she would master it eventually. There was an inner Valkyrie in his lover, as he had witnessed several times, and she had already made significant progress, far quicker than he had anticipated.

"To copy oneself thus," he began to explain. "You must see a clear, unbiased picture of yourself in your mind's eye, down to the tiniest freckle. Too many sorcerers allow personal bias to create a skewed version of themselves, and it is easily seen through."

Jane took that as a warning not to let any of her self-esteem issues come into this.

"You must hold that picture of yourself in your mind's eye," he continued, his voice slipping into a strong, steady cadence that both made her skin prickle with desire and her ears listen, both entranced and intrigued by the new world he had shown her. "And then you must will it into being."

"Sounds…vague," she murmured.

"It is akin to the spell I used to create the staff for the tesseract," he explained. "I use my magic to create and bring into being the staff by manipulating the molecules and replicating more of the composite before me on the bench. With copying, it is simply a case of doing so with the atoms of the air around you, to create the illusion, and your own willpower."

"Does it hurt, if a copy is wounded or dies?" she asked curiously.

"No, you feel nothing," he replied. "It is just an illusion, not solid flesh and bone. Now, I want you to close your eyes and follow what I do."

He knelt before her, taking her hands as she did as he said, inhaling deeply, remembering that calm feeling she'd experienced, after their fight and the wall incident, and she woke up in his arms. His mind touched hers, familiar, comforting and she shuddered with the familiar pleasure of it.

_**Not yet, love. **_She heard his seductive voice in her head. _**Work first, then play.**_

She imagined her fingers making a rude gesture, and he chuckled, both in her head and audibly.

_**Now, watch and then try.**_

She watched as he showed her how he created an image of himself, then enthused and cocooned it in that curious emerald green colour that symbolised his power. She felt the surge of power, and opened her eyes to see a perfect replica of Loki sitting on the bed beside her.

_**Now it is your turn.**_

Shoving aside her reservations, she did as he told her to, imagining a copy of herself in her head, building the picture atom by atom, bone by bone, adding colour, smoothing imagined imperfections with a stern word from Loki.. Being sure to hold it in her mind, she called forth her magic and letting it suffuse the copy, opening her eye to see her handiwork.

It was almost there, but it looked intangible, visibly transparent, as she eyed it disappointedly. Loki however was impressed.

"Good, very good, for a first try," he told her. "Now try it again, and this time try not to focus _**too**_ hard."

She tried again, and although the copy was more tangible looking, it was still imperfect. Looking into her own face, translucent as it was, was rather unsettling.

"Now," Loki instructed. "Try to make it move."

"How do I do that?" she asked, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

"It is your magic creating and maintaining the illusion. See her again, in your mind's eye, make her stand up."

She tried, and at first, the copy didn't so much as blink, but then its hand twitched, then it stood up. Her head pounding, she released the illusion with a gasp, and it flickered from existence.

"Sorry," she panted. "I just couldn't hold it-"

"Don't be sorry," he told her firmly. "You have done well in a remarkably short space of time. It takes time, and practice, to master magic. You have only just begun."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jane mumbled, looking down. Loki rolled his eyes, tilting her chin back up, before brushing a kiss over her lips.

"That is all we need do tonight," he whispered. "You can practice this on your own now you understand the theory."

"You've not going to come out with some line about the 'night is young' now, are you?" she asked. Loki quirked an eyebrow suggestively.

"Well, if you're offering…" he trailed off as she smiled wickedly, pushing herself back on the bed. "And you know how I detest those…garments."

"Hey, they're comfy," she muttered. "And practical. Until a few weeks ago, it wasn't like I could magic on clothes, if there was an attack?"

"Ahh, but you no longer have that excuse," he purred, coming over her, running one hand down her thigh. Jane sighed, knowing she had let herself in for that one. "I will take great pleasure in ceremonially burning these…'sweats', as you call them."

"You will not," Jane retorted.

"Try and stop me, love," he growled, before lowering his head to hers. With a shudder, she felt his hand pass over her body, and then a slight coolness as her sweats disappeared, only to be swamped by a familiar, but never boring, sensation of hard muscle pressed against her.

With a smile, she flipped him over, pushing Loki onto his back. He let her with an amused smile, before pulling her back against him with a contented gasp. Yes, this was how he wanted his life to be, from now on.

And he would make it so.

* * *

Two days later, Jane listened with dread as Fury declared that the tesseract was ready for 'field testing'.

As she sat beside Loki in the seldom used briefing room, she glanced at his stern, emotionless face, and fought back her panic at the thought of him going into battle again.

News had come again of another attack by Amora's forces, this time including Frost Giants, and they seemed to be moving closer to the base's location. Fury wanted them to go out, stop the approaching enemy force and assist any non-combatants in the process.

After the briefing, Loki pulled her aside, as the Quinjets loaded up in the main hangar bay, and his gaze was darkling as he pinned her against a wall.

"Promise me you will not come after me this time," he demanded. Jane sighed.

"Loki, I can't!" she hissed. "What would you do if it were me?"

"And what would _**you **_do in _**my**_ position?" he retorted. "I will not have you endangered when it is not necessary. Promise me."

Jane didn't, couldn't, give her word but she capitulated enough to lean up and whisper in his ear. "I can't promise that, and I can promise this. Make sure you come back, and I might have an answer for you."

Loki stared at her, then his face broke into a pure, beaming smile that elicited a similar one in Jane. She grinned and laughed as he picked her up and kissed her, before shoving him playfully on the shoulder.

"I haven't given it to you yet!" she slapped him on the breastplate. "Just make sure you come back for it."

"Yes ma'am," he grinned, putting her down gently, before taking her hand and kissing it tenderly. "Nothing and no one, not even Death itself, will ever keep me from your side."

"Glad to hear it," she replied, stretching up on her toes to meet his lips just once more, before pushing him away. "Now go on. Kick some alien butt!"

"I swear you become more like Darcy every day," he sighed, shaking his head as he turned away, his armour appearing on his body, his raven hair now covered by his towering helmet, the staff of the Tesseract in his hand.

Jane watched him walk away, tall, proud, and all hers. She smiled, and knew in her heart that what she had just said was true. She would have an answer for him, waiting when he came back.

* * *

Morgana smiled as she looked down into her little pool, seeing Loki and the Avengers leave the SHIELD base for the last time.

Amora was gone, off to attack Asgard, thinking in her folly and stupidity that with the Skrull and the Jotunns as her allies, that the Realm would fall. Either Laufey's hand, or one of the Asgardians' own, would be her downfall.

And in any case…

Even if the attack failed to subdue Asgard, it would be far too late for any of them. Soon, she would have the tesseract and the second born Prince at her command, and none would be able to stand before them.

The final stages of her plan were in motion, the bait primed to distract Loki, while her true target all along, was his little mortal pet.

She turned to the towering Frost Giant who stood, waiting for her order. "Summon our forces," she barked, command sweeping effortlessly from her every pore, like the queen of legend she had been, and would be again. With Loki and the tesseract at her side, she would rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes. "We attack now."

As the Frost Giant bowed and stomped away, she turned back to her pool, and passed a hand over the wavering image of Loki's face, determined and cold in the rippling water.

She suppressed a shudder, as a smile rose to her cruel mouth.

Soon.


	20. So It Begins

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warning: Violence.

Chapter Playlist: 'Into Battle' from 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader', 'Courtyard Apocalypse' from 'Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 2' and 'Statues' from 'Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 2'.

* * *

'_All war is deception.'_

_**- Sun Tzu**_

* * *

_Asgard_

Thor, King of Asgard, stood on a balcony overlooking his Realm, his blue gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

Since Loki had left, and news now only came in the form of Hogun or Volstagg, the kingdom slumbered in a watchful, uneasy peace. There had been no more attacks, but since they could no longer wholly rely on Heimdall's gifts, Thor was loath to be caught unawares.

His blood boiled inside of him. He yearned for the fight, but instead he was incarcerated here, on Asgard, by his own crown! Instead, it was his brother who was in the thick of things.

Loki ever had the luck.

He worried for his brother however. Oh, he knew well his brother's prowess in battle, had been beaten by the master of magic several times on the sparring fields. But still, he worried, as brothers were wont to do.

His eyes darkened as they drifted onto another disturbing item of news Hogun had told him. Amora.

Of all the people it had to be, it was Amora. He remembered a slender, beautiful girl with golden locks, who turned into a bewitching woman with a sly, cunning smile and blazing eyes. Before her interest fixed upon him, he knew the All-Father had thought to pair her with Loki.

And then Amora's jealousy had raised its head like snake. It had been true that Thor had no intentions to wed her, back then, but if she had not lashed out at Sif….she might have been sitting on the throne beside him now. Contrary to opinion, and the myths of man, it had been Amora, not Loki, who had turned Sif's natural golden locks to jet black, in an attempt to turn him from her.

When that had not worked, she had turned her mind to murder.

He shuddered when he remembered that awful day. If it were not for Loki, the poison Amora had dipped the arrow in would have surely killed one of his oldest friends and his Queen.

Just then a slender hand crept over his, and he smiled slightly, relaxing as his Queen's familiar presence made itself known.

"You frown overmuch, my Lord," Sif murmured teasingly. "What troubles you so?"

Not wishing to worry her with his thoughts on Amora, he turned his mind to another, far more pleasing topic.

His brother was in love.

"I just cannot believe that of all the women who have thrown themselves in Loki's path, it is a _**mortal**_ who has captured his cold heart," Thor laughed, shaking his head. In all this tense agony of waiting, it eased his heart. Sif laughed with him.

"Aye, it is amusing," Sif muttered. "I cannot wait to meet her. Will Loki bring her to Asgard when he is done on Earth?"

"I believe so," he replied. "Volstagg told me the pair had quite the argument about Asgardian superiority when they first met. And to come upon them holding hands only hours afterwards! It truly must be love!"

"If she can keep up with Loki in an argument, then they are well-matched," Sif suggested dryly. "Goodness knows, it was time some woman brought your brother to heel."

"I'm sure Lady Foster will do so for a long time," Thor chuckled.

"You intend to grant her a share of Idunn's harvest?" his Queen asked frowningly. "What of the trials?"

"I think, if Hogun and Volstagg's reports are true," he replied firmly. "Then she has no need of trials to prove her worth as an Aesir."

And while Volstagg was prone to exaggeration, Hogun was not.

Sif nodded. "It would be nice to have another woman around the place, to commiserate with, of course, about having such tiresome husbands. Valhalla knows, you Sons of Odin are a handful," she continued, her smile turning teasing as Thor grabbed her around her waist. He disliked showing his feelings for his Queen in public, but they were alone for once, and so he let them free.

"You, my Queen, are on dangerous ground," he growled playfully, leaning in for a kiss.

They both felt it at the same time, an unmistakable pulse of energy. They had grown up with Loki, watching him master his magic, so the feeling was not unknown.

But this was different. This was darker than Loki's magic.

Amora was here.

Suddenly the Bifrost seemed to convulse, the golden dome of the Observatory groaning before it exploded outwards, littering shining fragments of gold into the Universe below.

"The Bifrost!" Sif started forward, alarm writ large in her eyes, before the mask of the shieldmaiden returned, and her grip tightened on the glaive strapped to her back, beneath her Queen's robes.

Immediately both sprang into action, calling for the Guard, and their Generals to assemble, but as they emerged from the high tower at which summit they had been looking out at their kingdom, they saw the battle was already begun.

Golden helmed Asgardians fought with blue skinned Jotunns and reptilian Skrull.

"My King!" Volstagg boomed, finished off one Skrull with a sweep of his axe. "They have swamped the upper City and the Palace. The All-Father has been sealed off, but we are hard pressed here. They seemed to appear from nowhere."

"Heimdall?" Thor asked.

"We know not, My King. The Asbru Gate is blocked!" another voice called as Volstagg was assaulted anew. Thor glanced to Sif, who inclined her regal head, motioning to two warriors as they rushed into the melee to liberate the Gate.

Thor grinned, summoning Mjolnir to his hand. So now it began.

Without another word, he launched himself into the fight, his blood singing in his veins as Mjolnir flew.

* * *

_Earth_

Loki smirked with a grim satisfaction as he spun the staff around in his hand, the lethal blades at its peak cutting a swathe through the ranks of Skrull and Jotunns. And what the blade did not reach, the power of the tesseract did.

Watching another despicable creature sink to its knees, writhing in blue and green flames, Loki smiled, his blood rushing in his body. That exhilaration lingered, as he turned to see Stark bring down one of the Skrull fighters, waving a jaunty salute at the Aesir as he flew past in a graceful loop. Loki lazily sent off a bold of energy at some of the fighters on his tail, burning one and scattering the remaining Skrull.

The desert beneath his feet burned with the energy of the fight and the endless cries of the enemy as they all fell. For once in his life, Loki truly felt supreme.

He felt a sudden weight against his back, and he instinctively shifted, throwing the importunate Skrull over his shoulder, before spinning and impaling it with the staff.

But this Skrull did not die. It _**smiled**_ at him first.

Loki froze, recognizing that cold smile, even on reptilian features. Morgana.

His exhilaration faded as a chilling sensation crept up on him, and something in his subconscious mind niggled.

Something was wrong.

He glanced around during a pause in the fighting. Tony easily took care of the airborne Skrull, aided by the explosive arrows of Hawkeye, occasionally taking potshots at the Jotunns and Skrull on the ground below if he got bored.

Captain Rogers was currently cutting a swathe through a platoon of Jotunns, his shield slicing through them like glass. They tried to defeat him through sheer numbers alone, but then Agent Romanoff threw herself into the fight, followed by a squad of SHIELD operatives in combat black.

He heard a familiar laugh and turned to see Fandral and his troop of Aesir joyously slaying anything that stood before them, Fandral's rapier singing as it sliced through flesh and sinew.

There were many enemies, but they were winning. What was his instinct trying to tell him…?

That Skrull's smile rose to his mind again.

Then he felt it. That familiar rush of power against his mind, as soothing and warm as a breeze on the fringes of the Asgardian ocean.

Jane.

_**LOKI!**_

He heard her like a blow to the head, wincing at the sheer power she had poured into her call. Her voice, distressed, pained….

Heart thudding in sudden fear, he turned towards Rogers, calling to the blue-suited mortal. "Captain! Contact Control! Make sure everything is well!" he shouted above the roar of battle. The mortal looked to him, confused, but did as he was bid, while Loki did not take his eyes off of him, even while he fought and defeated more Skrull.

He was momentarily distracted by a Jotunn lumbering towards him with a roar. He grinned, backing up, before disappearing in a blaze of light as the Jotunn crashed through his double. He reappeared beside it, and silently ended its life with the staff, its lethal silver blades piercing the thick barrier of muscle protecting its heart.

"I can't get through!" Rogers called over, during a lull in the fighting. Loki went cold, as Tony swooped down.

"Could be interference from the fighters. My comms unit is more powerful, let me try," the inventor put in, landing with a thud and idly picking off one more Skrull as it rushed towards him.

"Am I the only one who noticed that the enemy seemed a little… off their game today?" Barton asked as he joined the trio, fixing new heads onto his arrows as he did so. Loki nodded.

They had seemed somewhat…easy to rid of. Not so easy that it had taken only a little time, but still far easier than usual. They were undisciplined, released slightly of the icy control Morgana usually exerted over them, so they were almost confused.

Like cannon fodder…

That uneasy chill reared its head, growing worse, as Loki waited impatiently for Tony to make contact. After a moment, his helmeted head shook.

"I got nada. Like I said, could be interference from the fight, could be…"

"Or it could be because SHIELD is now no more," Loki interrupted through gritted teeth. "This was a distraction, to get us away from SHIELD, so we could not defend it. Come!"

He turned away, his cloak flying in the breeze, as he glided into the air. He did not fly often, but this was urgent.

He felt Tony fall into place beside him, the others piling into the undamaged vehicles below, as his blood rose, pounding in his ears in time with the drumbeat of his fear, as he remembered Jane's pained, magically enthused cry in his mind.

_I am coming, love. Hold on…_

* * *

_Asgard_

The rainbow bridge was choked with rubble, smoke from several fires in the City drifting across the iridescent crystal beneath Sif's feet, as they rushed as fast as they could towards the beleaguered Observatory.

A familiar figure appeared through the fog of war, and Sif breathed a secret sigh of relief when she saw the golden Heimdall wielding Hofud against the Jotunns and Skrull who swamped him.

But he moved slowly, almost clumsy as Sif had never seen the Gatekeeper before, and anger spiked in her heart. They were playing with him, as a cat does a mouse before the kill.

With a cry, Sif leapt into battle, her glaive held high above her head.

* * *

He heard the roars of battle. He smelled the blood of his people as it was spilled in the City below him.

He felt their cries of anguish and pain, pleading for help. His son was trying, but there were too many. The other was on another world and could not help.

More was needed than the God of Thunder and Mjolnir could give. He was not ready, but there was no choice.

Far above the besieged City, in a tower, with his hand clutched close in his Queen's, the icy blue eye of Odin All-Father opened beneath the golden haze of Sleep.

* * *

Sif stood from impaling a Jotunn with her glaive when she heard a familiar girlish titter behind her.

"Well, well, well, my _**Queen**_," Amora laughed scornfully. "Enjoying getting your hands dirty are you?"

"The only dirty one here is you, my Lady Amora," Sif turned gracefully, raising her glaive in readiness. Amora, gowned in flowing white and silver armour, laughed, tossing her golden hair over her shoulder.

"You think to threaten me with your little toy? _**Me**_?" she giggled, opening her arms wide, taking in all the slaughter around them. "I could kill you with a twist of my finger-"

Sif sighed, rolling her eyes. With a spin of her glaive, she turned and thrust it deeply into Amora's chest. "You always did talk too much," Sif told her grimly, as the sorceress's eyes widened in pain and shock, blood bubbling up in the corner of her mouth. "And you really should have seen that coming!"

Sif's mouth gaped in shock as Amora choked, and then collapsed.

Dead.

Her thoughts whirled. Her blow, while troublesome certainly for an Aesir, was not fatal yet Amora had been as fragile as a mortal. What…?

Shaking away her thoughts, she stepped over the Enchantress's corpse, and rushed to the sagging Heimdall.

"Gatekeeper," she breathed, supporting the injured Guardian. "Where are you injured?"

"No time," the dark Guardian rasped, forcing himself upright. "We must hurry. The second Sorcereress has made her move. Prince Loki will need us all."

Sif's eyes widened, but she tamped down her confusion, hiding it behind her warrior's mask. "Very well," she murmured, turning to one of her men. "Inform the King that the Observatory is safe and that the Gatekeeper requires help. Go!"

"No need," her husband's husky voice echoed behind her, and she turned to find him, striding tall and unbowed towards her, Mjolnir shining silver and crimson in his hand.

And beside him…

Odin All-Father, in all his glory, power radiating from him in waves that brushed gently against Sif's consciousness yet could turn lethal in a moment if provoked.

Wordlessly, she dropped to one knee, her bloodied fist clenched close to her heart.

"Rise, my Lady Sif," Odin rumbled. "You have done well in defense of the kingdom, but now we must honour our ancient duty to Earth."

"But the Bifrost is too badly damaged. How may we travel to Earth-" Sif began, looking up to her liege lord, frowningly.

"There are other ways to travel the paths between the Realms. Loki will need our help," the All-Father replied gravely. He gestured to the injured Gatekeeper. "Take him to the Healing Room."

Thor came to her side, looking down on the corpse of Amora grimly. "She is slain then. Your hand?" he asked, looking to her questioningly.

"Aye, by my hand. It was…too easy," she murmured, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"You should have more faith in your skill, my love," Thor murmured. "I myself slew Laufey."

"It is not a lack of faith in my skills," Sif replied. "She was…diminished, somehow. The blow I dealt her should not have killed her."

"There is more to this than meets the eye," the All-Father pronounced gravely behind them, making the couple turn to face the imposing figure of Odin. "I sense dark magic beyond my knowledge at work. And Loki is in danger, as is the Earth and the mortal woman he holds dear."

"How do you know of that?" Thor raised his eyebrows.

"Your mother told me many things in my Sleep," Odin replied, a distinct twinkle in his eye. "She sees much that even Heimdall cannot. We will soon have a Princess of Asgard, if all goes well."

* * *

_Earth_

_SHIELD base, an hour after the Avengers' departure._

They came from nowhere. Jane barely had time to blink when the alarm was sounded and soldiers rushed to their posts.

She, Erik and Darcy took shelter in the lab, knowing they would be worse than useless against Skrull and Frost Giants. Jane had her gun with her, as well as her magic if it came to that, but fear curled in her heart.

Where was Loki?

The sounds of fighting echoed throughout the base, screams and cries of pain reverberating through the communications unit, yelled orders, sometimes in Fury's voice, sometimes in Maria's…

It was hell.

She couldn't take it anymore. Jane stood from her crouch, tucking her gun back into her waistband, ignoring Erik and Darcy's panicked shouts as she rushed towards the lab doors.

She could help, and damn her promise to Loki. She couldn't let people die when she had the power to stop it.

But before she reached the doors, they were blown inward, off their hinges, and Jane off her feet. She flew back several feet, crashing into the wall, her head pounding until it was all she knew.

She felt warmth, sticky, smelling of salt, dripping down her forehead, as she lay, her breath knocked from her entirely, as footsteps came close to her head.

"Bring her," a cold, female voice said. "The other one as well. Leave the old man, he is useless now."

As Jane dimly felt herself yanked upright into hard, reptilian arms, her head lolling weakly, she latched on to that sentence.

Old man. Erik. Useless.

_Oh please, don't be dead, please don't be dead Erik…_

As she was dragged away, her senses stunted and unable to focus, she called on everything she had, all her magic, all her desperation, and fear and pure anguish.

And called his name.

_**LOKI!**_

She hoped he heard, because her strength ebbed and the headache grew too strong for her to handle. She sank beneath the pain, and let it pull her under.


	21. The Reckoning Comes

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Violence, some description of bodily harm.

Chapter Playlist: 'Sorcery and Sudden Vengeance' from 'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'.

* * *

'_A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality.'_

_**- Winston Churchill**_

* * *

Loki felt his heart pound with an excruciating feeling, slowing his mind and dragging at his limbs. The wind rushed through his hair beneath the helmet, the sun's rays almost piercingly bright.

He could hear the roar of Tony's repulsors behind him, the grinding squeal of the vehicles below him, but it was through a dim cloud. Only one thought remained, driving him, pushing his limits.

Jane. Get to Jane.

He knew the instant he landed outside of the SHIELD base subterranean entrance that he was too late, his strategist's mind taking in the obvious devastation, even as the rest of him refused to concede it.

"Oh my God," Steve murmured in his ear.

There was nothing except a hole in the ground where the vehicle lift had once been, and smoke billowed forth from its gaping mouth. The stench of fire and fresh blood filled his senses, and he clenched his fists as he swept towards the entrance, the remaining SHIELD operatives rushing from their vehicles, Tony striding through the dirt behind him.

Fandral was at his side in a moment. "My Prince," he breathed, horror hidden deep within the sapphire of his eyes. "Do you think…?"

"I know not," Loki murmured. "I can sense nothing."

And it was true. Magic masked the very air, dulling his senses and nausea roiled in his gut.

Only one person could have done this. Morgana.

So she had made her move, presumably against Amora, and now she moved to claim the tesseract.

But the tesseract was not here. It was safely in his possession. Loki knew it, but the fear and the anguish in his heart meant that knowledge was of little comfort. Wordlessly, he looked to Fandral, who nodded, understanding his silent message.

As one they turned to the destroyed entrance, and jumped into the void.

"Wait, you can't just-" Steve protested weakly, as they rushed to the lift's edge, Tony peering down into the darkness uneasily.

"Actually, Steve, I think you'll find they do what they want," he muttered. "I'll follow and report back since my comms unit is not affected by the interference. Once it's safe and I have the lift back online, I'll send it back up for you."

"I would suggest we rappel down, but we don't have any rope or harness," Natasha added, to Steve's questioning glance.

"We also don't have the right equipment for whatever might be down there," Clint agreed. "If there's fire or blockage, Tony and the Aesir are better equipped to clear it than we are."

"Ok, go," Steve nodded to Tony, who rolled his eye but nodded anyway. In his heart, he too felt scared. Pepper had been in the base. Was she still alive?

The air rushed past in a roaring, rippling mass of black smoke and twisted metal. The pair of Aesir landed gracefully, as if they had just stepped off of an escalator, their boots making no imprint in the floor beneath them. Looking around the main hangar, they could dimly make out the totaled shapes of vehicles and planes, and the twisted forms of bodies laid out, their limbs askew.

"Go and check them," Loki gestured to the prone bodies. "I will deal with the fire and the smoke."

Fandral nodded grimly, as Loki forced himself to focus, and pushed his magic out. It was no hard thing to simply extinguish the flames, and then whipping up a wind to funnel the smoke up and away through the lift shaft.

Just then a familiar sound made his eyes snap open, to see Tony landing heavily, the mask retracting to reveal the inventor's face.

"You trying to gas me there?" he demanded, yet Loki could see the uneasiness in his eyes. He remembered that Tony also had loved ones in the base.

"Apologies, my friend," Loki forced a smile, but it was weak. "Could you repair the lift mechanism? I would imagine the Captain is anxious to get down here."

"Yeah, easy as pie," Tony replied, striding over to the lift control booth. "At least they didn't actually fry the lift controls, or cut the support lines, because then my job would really be hard."

"They are all dead, my Prince," Fandral called over. "But some of these wounds are not of Skrull or magical origin."

Loki drifted over, cool eyes glancing over one soldier, killed in the throes of a scream, its glazed eyes dull and unseeing. Its skin was covered in angry red and black burns.

"Frost Giants," Loki nodded to himself. "Come, we need to search the lower levels."

"Once the lift's fixed, I'll join you," Tony called over. "Just be careful. There might be more Skrull or big blue guys lying in wait."

Fandral glanced to the hard lines of his friend's and liege's face, and the anguish burning in his eyes. He doubted anything would stand before him today.

He forced away his own fears for Darcy, whose only defence was her taser and her all too smart mouth. He prayed she was alive.

As they made their way down, into the bowels of the Earth, they encountered more bodies, more destruction. It looked as if little had been left alive in the assault.

They checked the Control centre, and paused as they recognised a body, stretched out as if killed as he fell, his single eye unseeing.

Loki tapped the communications unit in his ear. "Tony, you should inform Captain Rogers that Director Fury is dead."

He had never liked the man, but he had respected him insofar as he was able. He was a leader in hard times, and he made tough choices with caution. He had not deserved to die thus.

Looking around, he recognised many faces he knew only by name, but to his surprise Fury's right hand, Maria Hill was not among them. Perhaps she had been called to defend the base elsewhere?

He also did not see Jane, Erik Selvig or Darcy.

With a sigh of secret relief, he led Fandral from the Control centre, and down further. If Jane was dead, he guessed she would be in the lab.

They were just rounding a corner, choked by debris, the two Aesir lifting it effortlessly from their path, careful in case of survivors, when they heard a choked cry. Fandral glanced to Loki, before rushing to the source of the cry, pulling up a section of metal bulkhead, to find a slender, copper haired woman in slacks and a torn blouse, a nasty cut running the length of her cheek.

"All is well, my lady," Fandral murmured soothingly, as he pulled her out of the wreckage carefully. "We are not enemies, we will not harm you. What is your name?"

"Pepper. Pepper Stark," she breathed shakily, and the pair realised they had the elusive wife of Tony in their company. She usually worked in the Logistics section of SHIELD after the destruction of the old world order and kept out of the military councils and missions as much as she could. She was no soldier. "Y-you're the aliens Tony talked about."

"Fandral and the Prince Loki, my lady," he smiled kindly, forgetting his title. "Your husband is in the hangar, attempting to fix the lift."

"Oh, thank God," Pepper breathed, pushing a stray lock of coppery hair from her face, wincing at the cut.

"Here, allow me," Loki leaned in, stretched his magic out, and smoothed the skin back together. Pepper smiled in wonder as she felt her now smooth cheek.

"Handy," she replied, before the levity passed, and the haunted look returned to her eyes. "I-I need to tell you. Jane is alive. I saw her being dragged away by those things and that woman…"

"What woman? Morgana? Dark-haired, pale?" Loki asked desperately.

"Easy, my Prince," Fandral eased the woman back from him.

"I think so," Pepper breathed shakily.

"Very well," Fandral murmured kindly, tapping his own comms unit. "Tony, I have your wife here. She's well, shaken, but well."

Before the inventor could answer, Pepper grabbed the comms unit and yelled into it. "You'd better get your butt down here, Tony Stark! Right now!"

"Pep! I'm coming, and damn it's good to hear your voice," he growled.

"Enough mushiness, just get down here!" Pepper replied. As the couple bantered back and forth over the comms, Loki stood and looked to Fandral.

"Remain with her," he nodded to Pepper. "I will go on."

Fandral was reluctant, but he nodded. "Very well, my Prince. I will wait here."

With that, Loki turned away, his emerald cloak flaring behind him with every step.

As he walked, he thought quickly. Pepper had seen Jane taken by Morgana and most likely her Skrull and Frost Giants. Did she know of Jane's magic?

He hoped, with all his being, that she did not. No, but he wondered if somehow his relationship with Jane was known to Morgana…

If so, she might have been taken as a means to induce him to give up the tesseract, since Morgana would have no doubt discovered it gone by now.

His stride quickened as he neared the lab, hope flaring in his heart. The doors were collapsed inward; he kicked them from his path. Inside, it was pure devastation, the computers and equipment scattered haphazardly across the horizontal worktables, and sparks flew from trailing wires.

He could see no sign of Jane, or Darcy. He hoped the red stains on the floor were not from them.

Suddenly he heard a coughing sound, and he rushed over, pulling aside a worktable, to find Erik Selvig slumped beneath, blood covering his shirt, stemming from a metal bar protruding from his stomach. Somehow he was still alive, through sheer will if nothing else, as he grabbed Loki's bracer desperately.

"Morgana took her. Get her back!" he hissed, his voice weak and papery. Loki stared at him, the old man holding his eye fiercely before his grip weakened and the fire in his eyes dimmed.

Cursing himself, Loki called forth his magic to heal him, but it was too late. Even as the wound healed over and the metal bar disappeared, he felt Erik Selvig's life fade.

He was gone.

As his fist clenched, and grief washed over him that he had never expected to feel, Loki bowed his head.

He would get her back. Then he would destroy Morgana.

* * *

Later, the Avengers, Fandral and Loki gathered in the conference room. The SHIELD operatives and Loki's men were working to clear some of the debris away, salvaging what they could. Tony had repaired the communications enough to put in a call to SHIELD bases across the world, to inform them of Fury's demise and put in a call for arms. They all knew why Morgana had targeted them and taken hostages.

She wanted the tesseract.

It had been confirmed that Jane, Darcy, Agent Hill and several others had been taken by Morgana. There had been only a handful of survivors, including Pepper, who was resting in her quarters with Tony checking up on her regularly.

"Where is the tesseract now?" Steve asked, looking to Loki.

"Somewhere safe where even Morgana cannot find it," he replied evenly, leaning back in his chair even as his body itched for action. But he was not Thor and this needed careful planning, in order to be successful. "And if I am killed, then it will be lost forever."

"Look, I know this is hard," Steve began awkwardly. "But if Morgana demands an exchange, the tesseract for Jane, I cannot let you give it up. If she gets it, she wins"

Everyone looked uneasily to Loki, wondering if he was going to explode, but he just smiled lazily, one brow arching superciliously as he eyed the squirming mortal. Fandral almost chuckled, except his heart was too heavy with grief and worry for it.

"I have no intention of doing so. Rather, Morgana might have given us exactly the right opening to destroy her," the Aesir replied silkily. "When she demands the tesseract, I will give to her in appearance only. She is powerful but not as powerful as me."

"You mean to double the staff?" Fandral asked, nodding to himself.

"I will play along only so far, until the hostages are safe, and then I will strike," Loki shrugged, nonchalantly.

"I don't like it. Too much hinges on just you," Steve murmured. "We can't even get at Morgana and Amora-"

"Amora is no more," Loki interjected. "For some time now, I have suspected Morgana of playing some deeper game. She has siphoned power from Amora, weakening her substantially, and what is more, she would not have made her move on the tesseract if Amora still lived. Even with her power depleted, Amora would still be too strong to defeat once the tesseract was in her control. It matters not, either way. The tesseract will only serve two masters, and one of them in this room."

"Two masters-?" Steve trailed off, frowning. Loki looked to Tony, who just nodded.

"I am not the only one who can wield the tesseract's power. That power also lies with Miss Foster," he told them coolly. Unsurprisingly, the table erupted.

"I did not inform anyone of Jane's magical gifts," he called over the noise. "Because I would not have Fury turning her into an experiment, or a weapon. Mastery of magic takes centuries and cannot be forced, and although Jane has come far in a short space of time, she is still a novice and not ready for combat. Her magic is still unstable, and easily roused if she grows angry or scared."

"You should have told us, Your Highness," Steve murmured coldly. Loki drew himself up, eying the impertinent mortal with a cold eye.

"I do what I want, Captain. I am not human nor am I under SHIELD's jurisdiction. You have no control over my actions or my decisions," he replied calmly, yet everyone became aware of the flickering, burning power emanating from him, threatening to turn scorching at the slightest provocation.

"Ok, guys," Tony decided to play peacemaker. "Let's not dwell on the past right now. Right now, we need to focus on getting the hostages back, kicking Morgana's butt and saving the world. Capiche?"

Steve reluctantly backed down and the power levels in the room faded to bearable.

"If we've quite finished doing the whole gorilla-man-thing," Natasha put in silkily, with a slight grin. "I have an idea."

* * *

Jane stirred with a groan, her head pounding.

"Easy there, Jane," a familiar voice murmured, and she opened her eyes to find Maria Hill bent over her, concern and relief in her dark eyes. She looked like hell, her cheek scratched to pieces and her hair falling from her bun. Her combat suit was torn in several places. "Had me worried there."

"I'm ok," Jane forced herself upright, looking around to take in her surroundings. They were in a high, cavernous chamber, in almost complete darkness except for a few chinks of light coming in via fissures in the rock. None looked big enough to climb out of. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure," Maria breathed, helping Jane up. "I was awaken when I was dragged in here with you and Darcy-"

"Darcy! Where is she? Is she alright?" Jane looked around, but with the darkness it was almost impossible to see. Instinctively, she stretched out her magic, conjuring a small ball of fire into her palm with a snap of her fingers. She'd been practicing ever since her magic had been revealed.

Ignoring Maria's shocked gasp, she spotted the prone figure lying sprawled against the far wall, dark hair askew. She focused her magic and tossed the ball into the air, making it follow her as she darted over, her own aches and pains forgotten as her magic instinctively soothed them.

"Darcy," she breathed, smoothing hair away from her friend's wan face. She felt stickiness beneath her palm, and glimpsed the long, curling laceration marring her pretty features. Her chest rose weakly beneath Jane's other hand.

"Ok, I can do this," she murmured to herself. Carefully, she sent tendrils of magic into Darcy's body, remembering the healing spells Loki had taught her, and she knitted together flesh and blood, replenishing what she had lost, until colour bloomed in Darcy's cheeks once more, and her breathing deepened.

Jane slumped back, tired but not exhausted. She guessed it was the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"Care to tell me how you can do that, Foster?" Maria's suddenly cold voice snapped her back to attention, as she realized she had just given a rather impressive display of talents she had previously kept secret.

This was not good.

Just then Darcy came back to consciousness with a gasp, her eyes widening when she recognized Maria and Jane.

And then she saw the ball of fire hovering obediently behind Jane's shoulder and her eyes widened even further.

"That is too cool!" she muttered. "You can use magic! That is so wicked!"

"Wicked and cool as it may be, Miss Lewis, I am rather more interested to learn exactly how and when Miss Foster discovered this…talent, and why it has remained hidden until now," Maria interjected coldly. Jane swallowed hard, but forced herself to explain.

"Loki said that when he first came to Earth, he used his magic to sense Amora and Morgana's location. He also sensed the tesseract and…me. He told me my mind felt different to the others around me, and that he suspected that my long exposure to the tesseract has altered my DNA, unlocking a potential for magic in my genes that had remained dormant."

"Why keep it a secret? You could have been useful," Maria continued.

"For exactly that reason. I can control it better now, do a few spells, but I can't use it in a fight, nor have I mastered it entirely. I might not for centuries," Jane shrugged. "Loki didn't want me becoming a lab experiment for Fury, which you know he and the Council would have done the moment they found out about my magic. He also didn't want Morgana or Amora to find out about my power either."

Maria's eyes flickered, but she nodded, her features softening slightly. "Who else knows?" she asked, while Darcy just listened, wide-eyed.

"Just Tony," Jane replied.

"Fine, ok, we can sort this out later," Maria looked away, standing and folding her arms. "Now we need to get out of here."

"And do what?" Darcy asked. "Why are we even here?"

"I would imagine as leverage," Maria began. "For the tesseract."

"Morgana must know about you and Fandral, and me and Loki," Jane mused, her cheeks turning red. Maria eyed her narrowly.

"And nothing SHIELD could do will stop either of your lovers," she sighed, making the other two straighten slightly.

"Well, there is some hope," Jane paused, wondering if she should, but what the hell, they knew about her magic anyway. "When we created the staff for the tesseract, Loki wasn't the only one she accepted as a master. The tesseract also accepted me, and it will only work for one of us. No one else. So even if Morgana gets her hands on the tesseract, it won't work for her."

Maria shook her head. "That broke so many regulations; I don't even want to think about it. It's comforting, anyway. Now we need to get out and we need to find a way to contact the others."

"I'm guessing Morgana is still ignorant to your gifts," she turned to Jane. "Could you get us out of here?"

"Possibly," she nodded. "Where's the door?"

"Over here," Maria led her over to the great stone wall, and Jane could just about feel the impression beneath her fingers. Cautiously, she used her magic to probe the stone, searching for magical enchantments but there were none. Just stone and metal.

"Probably doesn't expect us to get through something like this," Jane mused.

"In any other situation, she'd be correct," Maria agreed.

"So you gonna blast through that thing?" Darcy asked, watching Jane closely, like she was a superhero from her wildest dreams.

"And bring the whole place down on us?" Jane shook her head. "But I might be able to unlock it and relock it behind us."

An idea slipped across her mind, and although she knew it was crazy, it might buy them some time.

"There's a trick Loki taught me which might help," she murmured. "I'm not very good at it yet, but it might buy us some time."

"Do it then," Maria barked. "But don't hurt yourself. You're no good to us half dead."

Nodding, Jane closed her eyes and focused.

She painstakingly reconstructed her face and body in her mind's eye, then Darcy's, then Maria. Drawing on her magic, she enthused them with it and willed them into being with all her might.

Opening her eyes, she saw three copies of herself, Darcy and Maria, torn, bedraggled and bloodied, comatose on the floor, quietly unconscious. They shimmered slightly, and she pushed out more of her power, gritting her teeth at the effort, so they solidified and looked whole.

Darcy's eyes were so wide they were almost bugging out of her head.

"Whoa!" she gasped. "Kinda weird though, but cool weird."

"Come on," Jane muttered, feeling the strain already. Maria looked to her, concern breaking through her cool reserve.

"You alright?" she asked. "Can you hold it?"

"Not for long," Jane admitted. "But it'll buy us some time. Come on!"

The door was somewhat easier. Just a flick of her mind and ancient stone ground against each other and it opened into a black darkness beyond. Jane extinguished her fireball, needing the energy and the focus for the doubles they left behind. Silently, the three slipped out into the unguarded darkness, and the door sealed shut behind them.

* * *

Meanwhile, as the sun outside set on the icy mountains which housed Morgana and her forces, two lone figures strode towards the opening of the caves. A pair of Frost Giants awaited them, hissing at the sight of the Aesir, but they escorted them inside nonetheless.

Their cloaks, emerald and sapphire, spread behind them, their armour gleaming even in the darkness.

They were led out into a cavernous chamber, high-ceilinged, lost in shadow, the walls hung with coverings, the floors spread with soft fur rugs. Morgana stood, watching their approach with a cruel smile.

"You come at last," she called to them softly. "I feared you would not understand my message."

"I understood it well," Loki replied coolly. "We have what you desire, now give up the hostages to us."

"Do you? I see it not before me," Morgana laughed. With a sigh, Loki summoned the staff of the tesseract into his hand, holding it out in his palms.

"Satisfied?" he called. "Now the hostages."

Morgana merely pointed upwards, and the shadows above them receded to reveal three figures, chained by their wrists, hanging limply above their heads. Loki's fist clenched, and even while Fandral started forward, the Prince inwardly smiled.

His clever Jane.

They were doubles just as the staff in his hands was a double. And Morgana was too arrogant and caught up in her own power to see them. Jane was here, somewhere, free. Hope rose cautiously in his heart, as he felt the progress of the Avengers behind him, destroying the guard even as he replaced them with doubles so Morgana remained ignorant.

"Release them," he barked commandingly, when Morgana stepped down from her dais, her long velvet gown trailing behind her.

"Ahh, but we have yet to discuss terms of their release. I do not want just the tesseract. I will have you as my loyal consort and servant," she called, as Loki stiffened, and Fandral's brow rose.

"I assume Amora, then, is dead?" Loki replied coldly.

"Indeed. The silly fool was too blinded by her own vanity to realise I was weakening her, taking her power. If she had not been killed by my own hand, Laufey or some Asgardian's would have done so," she laughed, a cruel gleam in her dark eyes as she swept her curtain of luxuriant hair over her shoulder.

"I thought so. Ingenious," Loki chuckled. "So if I surrender myself, and the tesseract to you, will you allow the hostages free?"

"If you so wish. I care little for insignificant mortals when I will soon have the universe. Even if that fool Laufey failed to destroy Asgard, not even the All-Father shall be able to stand against us," Morgana came close to him, seemingly unafraid, as she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "Just imagine it, my Prince. Us, together, as King and Queen of the Universe, free of your brother's shadow, supreme and unchallenged. None could doubt your superiority to that boor of a King…"

"Pretty words," Loki breathed back, meeting her dark eyes, as Fandral watched uneasily. Morgana's words bit too close to Loki's darkness, and he feared then. Morgana pulled the staff from Loki's hands with one hand, while she stroked his cheek with another. He brushed her lips with his palm, before raising one hand of his own to hers, brushing back her hair, lingering on the sharp rise of her cheekbone. "Yet I foresee your own end, my Lady Morgana le Fay. Your power is not so absolute as you wish to think…"

"If I cannot have you, I will destroy you," she hissed back, moving away and raising the staff.

"You may try," Loki grinned darkly, as he summoned the tesseract into his hand, the true tesseract in his hand. "But the _**true**_ tesseract answers only to two masters, and you are not one of them."

As the double faded in a flare of gold in Morgana's hands, she recoiled with a screech. "What is this magic!"

"Also, I rather think you might have some prisoners on the loose," Loki lazily pointed upwards even as he glimpsed three dark heads peek around the corner of one of the many corridors that branched off of the chamber.

They were safe, as long as they stayed down.

Morgana looked up. The chains were empty.

She shrieked her defiance to the air, and Skrull and Jotunns poured from the corridors.

"You will die for this, Silvertongue!" Morgana raised her hands, seemingly regaining her composure as the two Aesir were surrounded. "Tesseract or not, not even you are invincible! I have an army!"

"Well, let us do what I believe the mortals call a 'headcount'," Loki grinned, as Fandral drew his rapier, his frown turning to a winning smile, his blue eyes burning. "I've got two master assassins, a super-soldier with the strength of twenty men, a man with a flying suit of iron, a whole troop of revenge-thirsty SHIELD operatives, and two dozen of the best warriors in the Nine Realms, and the power of the tesseract at _**my**_ command…." He trailed off, as he felt the glamours fall from the Avengers, and a goodly amount of the Skrull and Frost Giants morphed into his allies.

And he also felt the shiver of magic as lightning split the sky outside. Dark energy.

His brother had come.

"You might wish to re-evaluate your position," he finished haughtily, raising the staff as a glimmer of fear entered Morgana's eyes. He felt Jane drew nearer, and sent her a warning glance, hoping Morgana would not see.

**Jane, stay back. Stay hidden.**

* * *

Jane's heart thudded in her ears as she watched from her hiding place, letting the spell holding the doubles in place go, as they shimmered from existence and Morgana shrieked her rage to the ceiling. She felt Loki's voice in her head and for once, did as she was told; she shrank back against the stone wall, pulling Maria and Darcy with her.

She was no match for Morgana.

But hope rose in her heart, even as the chamber filled with more Frost Giants and Skrull. Watching Loki, so strong, so proud and tall and unbending… it was enough to instill hope in anyone.

* * *

Loki smiled even as he saw Morgana summon more reinforcements. "I believe the mortals have quite a few useful sayings," he called conversationally. "In this case, this one seems particularly apt."

He met Tony's dancing, laughing eyes, the stern, focused faces of Barton and Romanov, the determined, grim figure of Captain America, the gleaming, anticipatory troop of mingled SHIELD and Aesir, and the battle-ready grin of Fandral.

"Bring it on," he smiled, before he raised the staff high, the power within him singing as he dove into battle.

* * *

**_A/N: I couldn't resist ;P_**


	22. Destiny

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Violence.

Chapter Playlist: 'Budget Meeting' from 'King Arthur'.

* * *

'_We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.' _

_**- Winston Churchill**_

* * *

_The Observatory, Asgard_

Thor called together as many warriors as could be spared. The palace was not the only place in the city to have been targeted. Large areas of the city had been set aflame, and many were wounded as they fought to destroy the last remnants of Amora's forces.

Odin entered the Observatory, the ruined console in pieces at his feet. The Bifrost was destroyed, and Thor wondered how they could repair it. Even more importantly, how were they to reach Earth to aid his brother?

Sif, gleaming in her crimson stained silver armour, stood at his side, one hand on her glaive. Her eyes flitted over the city lying ruins before them, blood staining the rainbow bridge below their feet.

"Heimdall tells me that Loki is currently in the fortress of the second sorceress, Morgana. He will need you," the All-Father told him quickly.

"But how are we to get to Earth?" Sif asked, frowning, a small line appearing in the furrow between her brows.

"Dark energy," he replied gravely. "It is the only way."

Thor swallowed his protestations. Dark energy, from what little he recalled of it from his boyhood lessons, was extremely unstable and difficult to control.

"I will remain here," Odin continued. "To protect the Realm and finish the task of cleansing the city. Make ready."

Thor nodded, already calling Mjolnir to his hand but Odin pulled him back, his one eye holding his own grimly. "Be careful, my son," he breathed, as Sif called the warriors to order. "There is magic at work here that I cannot fathom. Also…." he paused, as if thinking over his words before he spoke. "Protect your brother, and help him. He may need you before the end."

Thor frowned, opening his mouth to question when Odin straightened, that troubling look in his eye disappearing, as he raised Gungnir. "Now go, with my blessing and my charge to return safely with your brother."

"Yes, father," Thor murmured, respectfully, although a part of him resented the sudden supplanting of his authority. But there was little he could do, and truthfully he itched to be gone. He pushed aside thoughts of what the All-Father had meant, and took his place beside his Queen, as the All-Father smote the floor with Gungnir.

He felt the sudden rush of power, like a palpable wave of cold rushing through him, and grit his teeth.

As his vision darkened, and the Observatory seemed to melt from around him, he held tighter to Mjolnir and focussed on the anticipation rushing through his blood.

And one single thought. Help his brother. Help Loki.

* * *

_Earth_

It was pure chaos. Jane could hardly see for the sudden crush of blue skinned giants, reptilian scales, the golden armour of the Aesir and the combat black suits of the SHIELD personnel.

She thought she'd have been used to it by now. She'd been in four firefights since joining SHIELD, and had witnessed a dozen others. It shouldn't have felt so jarring still.

Maria and Darcy crouched in the darkness behind her, as they watched the melee unfold. Maria's eyes flashed as a Skrull fell near them, its energy pikestaff tumbling from its clawed hand.

Jane met her eyes with a panicked gasp. "Don't you dare!" she hissed, but Maria paid no attention. She straightened, threw herself forward, dropped into a roll as an energy bolt from a pikestaff came her way, and came up again in a fighting crouch next to the staff. She snatched it up, and threw herself into the fight.

Jane outstretched one hand, as if to pull her back, but it was too late and Jane withdrew her hand. Of course Maria would want to help, to fight, instead of cowering in the shadows.

Damn it, she didn't want to either.

She glanced towards Darcy, who looked frightened but her jaw firmed, and she nodded, her dishevelled dark curls plastered against her face. Drawing a deep breath, Jane looked back towards the fight and waited for an opportunity.

Then she saw a Skrull about to bring its claws down on a SHIELD agent, and instinctively she called her magic, forcing it out. It formed a glimmering shield over the SHIELD agent, the Skrull screeching piercingly as its arm disintegrated on contact with the glistening barrier of energy.

Jane blinked, panting, as exertion already set in. She had never managed to conjure a shield like that before.

The SHIELD agent recovered, and finished off the Skrull, eyes wide at the energy field in front of him. Jane let go of it with a gasp, her arms shaking. She was already tired from maintaining those doubles and healing Darcy. She had to be careful, or she'd end up blacking out.

Darcy suddenly threw herself out into the fight, scrabbling towards a pikestaff when Jane saw the Frost Giant rushing towards her, roaring triumphantly. She called out a warning, but it was too close…

Jane remembered the trick with the fire Loki had shown her, and snapped her fingers. She felt the friction, the sudden heat caused by the tips of her fingers rubbing against one another. She caught it, fed it, until it was a roaring inferno in her palm. Hoping it would work, she threw it towards the Frost Giant as it reached Darcy, who spun around, raising the pikestaff uselessly, as the monster screamed, flailing wildly as it tried to put out the flames. She rushed back to Jane's side in the cleft, her eyes wide with shock and something which looked a little bit too much like fear for Jane's liking.

"Remind me never to catch you in a bad mood," she quipped, and Jane laughed suddenly, shaking her head.

This was better than throwing themselves into the fight anyway. Both of them stood no chance at hand to hand against Skrull or Frost Giants. This way, they could help and stay out of everyone's way.

Darcy started taking potshots with the pikestaff, Jane alternately using her magic to shield the fallen and set the enemy on fire. But she was tiring, fast.

She caught a glimpse of Loki, fighting a Skrull with seemingly nonchalant ease, unaware of the Frost Giant rushing him from behind.

With a surge of rage, Jane sent out a shield around Loki, her anger driving her magic, wiping away her fatigue, as she summoned another fireball and took careful aim. She threw it, her mind racing ahead to manipulate the air so it both fed the flames and carried it onwards, until it collided with the Giant's head. It went down screaming.

* * *

Loki heard it, felt the heat of the flames and quickly dispatched his opponent, spinning to find the slowly collapsing Giant, the fire creeping across its body as it fell. Flames that were a distinctive sapphire blue…

With an exasperated sigh, he looked directly towards Jane's hiding place, as she and Darcy continued taking potshots at various Skrull and Jotunns. She was a far better shot than Jane had ever been.

He had lost sight of Morgana, so he hoped Jane would be safe for now. He could hear sounds of battle outside the chamber, and he could feel his brother's power coming ever closer. He hoped Tony and Clint could hold the outer tunnels long enough for reinforcements to arrive but he had underestimated the number of Skrull and Jotunns Morgana had hidden in these mountain tunnels.

No matter. They were merely cattle, easily slain. It was Morgana herself that he knew would prove the greatest challenge, even with the tesseract.

Especially if she took Jane. He still felt the rage searing his blood, even though he knew she was safe…well safer, and no longer Morgana's prisoner. Even as another Skrull foolishly rushed him, he sent out a double, his consciousness split between the two as it shimmered into existence behind Jane and Darcy.

She felt the wave of magic and spun, hands already raised to protect herself when they were grabbed and yanked down by a familiar set of hands.

Loki.

With a sigh of relief, she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly, an embrace he returned. She frowned. Hadn't he been halfway across the chamber…?

Then it clicked. A double.

She drew back, looking up into it's eyes, as it smiled down at her with all the familiar mischief and arrogance she loved.

"Thank Valhalla, you are safe," it breathed, as Darcy paused in her attempted defensive move, eyes bugging out of her head.

"Dude, seriously, don't scare me like that again," she snapped at the embracing couple. "Girl with a gun, y'know. Well, pikestaff…whatever."

The double rolled its eyes.

"My compliments on the doubles, Jane," it whispered. "Excellent work. However, much as I appreciate your assistance a moment ago, stay down. Both of you, Fandral would never forgive me if anything happened to you," he glanced to Darcy pointedly.

"Where is he? Is he alright?" she asked worriedly.

"I do believe he is currently attempting to break his own record for number of opponents defeated in one hour," it replied. "Over there."

Both Darcy and Jane went to look, and sure enough, they glimpsed Fandral's blue cloak and silver armour, his musical laugh echoing through the chamber. Darcy raised her pikestaff, picking off a Skrull that he had been engaged in combat with, before waving jauntily in his direction. "You're welcome, honey!"

Jane swayed, the tiredness suddenly creeping up on her, and the double caught her, holding her against its surprisingly solid chest. "You have overexerted yourself," it murmured. "Please, Jane, for your own sake, enough now."

"You could just say thanks," she muttered weakly, before she pulled the double down to kiss her, her hands locking around the nape of its neck beneath its helmet. It strained her to it, before letting her mouth go.

"As much as I enjoyed that, love, it is rather distracting," it murmured, and Jane glanced towards where the real Loki was still fighting on, doggedly, but she definitely saw him glance towards her pointedly. "Just stay down and recover your strength."

"Can't you use the sceptre?" she asked, as they ducked an energy bolt rushing towards them. It shook its head.

"Not without bringing the whole mountain down upon our heads, and I know not where Morgana has gone. I must find her and end this," it breathed, leaning in for one last kiss. "Stay safe."

"The same applies to you," she murmured. "I think we've got a certain conversation that needs to be had."

The double's eyes gleamed for a moment, before it wavered and disappeared. Darcy glanced towards her friend and chuckled.

"Dude that is, like, so weird and hot at the same time," she quipped, making Jane roll her eyes as she ducked back behind the stone, forcing her magic back into abeyance, trying to do as Loki had said. He was right; she would be more a liability than a help if she collapsed now.

* * *

Tony flew through the air, knocking down wave upon wave of the enemy with his repulsors. In the rock face behind him, Hawkeye used his arrows to devastating effect while two squads of SHIELD's best defended the entrance to the caves below him.

The whole landscape was like a rabbit warren, however, and more and more blue-skinned Giants and Skrull seemingly erupted from the frozen earth. They were holding their own, just.

Too much longer, and they would be overrun.

He felt it before he saw it. A prickle of icy wind rushing through him, a feeling of immense pressure like his eyes were about to pop out of his head, even while in the protection of his helmet.

Magic, he was sure of it, but damn, did this not feel good.

He landed shakily, as the feeling built and built, and then to his immense surprise and shock, a battalion of golden armoured men, led by two figures in shining mail, appeared in the middle of the melee.

The enemy paused, and the newcomers instantly took advantage, one in particular wielding what looked like a giant hammer.

He guessed that one was Thor, then. Jeez, the guy clearly had issues with a hammer like that! Freud would have had a field day…

Hope renewed, Tony launched himself into the sky again, physically crashing into one Frost Giant and pushing it from its perch, before taking more shots from the air.

Thor saw the flying metal man, seemingly on their side, and would have gaped were it not for the fight. They had landed right in the middle of it, it seemed.

Not that he was complaining, but he saw no trace of his brother.

He threw Mjolnir, the great hammer flying from his grip to shatter the skulls of several Jotunns before it returned to his hand.

"Nice swing there, Big Guy!" the metal man landed beside him, the red and gold faceplate retracting to reveal the face of a man, aging but still handsome, a smattering of grey in his dark hair.

With the arrival of the Aesir, it appeared the humans had been pushed renewed vigour, and soon they would have the advantage. Thor had not been to Earth for many centuries, and as he looked around, it seemed that little had changed. Except for this flying metal man.

"Greetings, mortal," he replied, as the fighting slowly lessened as the enemy fell. "I seek my brother, Loki of Asgard. Where is he?"

"Inside, kicking some Frosty Giant ass, or whatever you guys call 'em," he replied. "Tony Stark, by the way."

"Thor, of Asgard," Thor returned.

"The hammer's a bit of a giveaway," Stark muttered, before holding out his hand. Thor stared at it. "You shake it. It's an Earth greeting."

And he thought Loki had been bad.

"No time for that now," he muttered shortly. "What is the situation?"

"Oh, right," Stark dropped his hand, gesturing to Hawkeye to come over. Thor was joined by a statuesque beauty with raven hair, tightly pulled back into a braid, so her beautiful features were rendered severe. Blood smeared one cheek, but Tony doubted it was hers. "Loki's dealing with the bad guys inside. We've got teams targeting other strongholds around the globe. We've still got the tesseract, and yeah, basically now you're here, Morgana ain't got a chance."

"Well, since there is little left to do here," Thor breathed. "Let us go aid my brother."

* * *

Morgana snapped another worthless mortal's neck as the fighting only seemed to intensify in the chamber. She called more and more of her reserve forces, but the Avengers in the chamber, and Loki, were defeating them with little difficulty.

Snarling, she pushed the corpse away, and looked for Loki. If she were to lose, she would not allow him to live. Her hand dropped to her girdle, where a knife hung in its sheath.

A breathless, vindictive smile lit her features.

She had been developing a poison, one she had intended to use for Amora if Laufey proved incompetent, and she knew no amount of magic or Asgardian healing abilities would be enough to counteract it. She had made it so.

Loki would die, slowly and painfully, by the poisoned blade in her hand. She just needed to find him.

* * *

Loki kicked away a pikestaff before it could fire at him, using his momentum to swing the staff around in his hand, so the blade at the very top sliced through flesh and sinew. The Skrull collapsed with a gurgled cry.

As another one rushed him, he rolled his eyes and let off a shot of magical energy in its direction, disintegrating it before his very eyes.

In a brief lull in the fighting, he glanced towards Jane's hiding place and carefully searched for her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he sensed her, tired but still alive.

He stiffened, as he glimpsed Morgana through the crush, and his jaw firmed. It was time to end this.

He took one step when he felt his brother's arrival was a rush of static over his skin.

Mjolnir sang.

He fought his way over to his brother, as the larger group of Aesir quickly joined the others, a loud cheer coming from the tired fighters as they went back to their work with renewed determination.

He ducked a Frost Giant's wild punch, and followed up with one of his own, before slamming the butt of the staff into its stomach, forcing it to collapse to its knees. He looked into its eyes, and smiled as he plunged the blade into its heart.

"Loki!" a familiar voice called his name, and he whipped around to find Sif finishing off a Skrull not far away, her glaive dyed black and red with blood. She smiled, exhilarated, and joined him. "So you didn't need our help after all."

"It seems not, sister dear," he replied, slightly sarcastically. Sif just rolled her eyes, as they were forced back into the fight by more enemies, dancing around each other in their fight, their bodies well attuned after centuries of battling side by side. Sif's glaive sung, and the staff housing the tesseract glinted, as they whirled and dipped into a flashing vortex of movement.

"So I hear wedding bells may soon be on the horizon?" Sif asked conversationally, as she ducked a kick from a Jotunn, and shoved her glaive into its stomach.

"Perhaps," Loki smirked, glancing towards Jane's hiding place. "You'll like her, Sif. She has the spirit of a Valkyrie."

"And the patience of a Norn if she has fallen in love with you," the warrior quipped dryly. Loki rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps more the stubbornness of a mule," he returned. Sif's brow rose wickedly.

"I think we shall indeed get along well," she replied. Loki rolled his eyes again as he swept the legs of a Skrull out from beneath it, and stabbed his blade down into its heart. He turned, and two daggers left his hand, finding their marks into the chests of two Frost Giants getting too close to Captain America for his liking. He turned back to Sif as she defeated her opponent.

"Where is Thor?"

Sif's eyes betrayed some worry, despite her confident smile as she glanced towards a knot of Skrull and Jotunns surrounding something. Or someone.

Loki's heart dropped, and even though his mind told him Thor could handle Morgana, if he encountered her, at least until he could reach him, fear rose up to choke him. Not caring about whatever got in his way, he pushed his way through the melee, desperate to reach his brother's side. He could feel Mjolnir's power and hear Thor's exhilarated laugh, but he could not see him.

All else dropped away, as that single thought remained.

* * *

Thor laughed as Mjolnir destroyed attacker after attacker. Fools! Nothing could overcome him! The mighty Thor, King of Asgard and God of Thunder!

He felt a presence behind him, and he spun, crimson cloak flying, to find a small, slender woman before him, dark eyes sparking with malice and power, dark hair hanging over her shoulders like a sable cape.

Morgana.

She twisted her hand, and a long, wickedly curving blade appeared in her hand. He laughed.

"You think to challenge me, woman?" he called jeeringly. "I am a King."

Morgana did not allow her anger to show. She just smiled.

First his brother, then Loki.

Thor lunged forward, already growing bored, only to crash to the ground as Mjolnir passed through air, and his weight tipped his balance over the edge.

He turned to find her already upon him, her blade crashing down on his head. He blocked it with Mjolnir, but she ducked under his guard, and a knife appeared in her hand.

He felt its bite, on the skin of his hand as she slashed at him, and laughed. "You think a paltry wound as this will stop me?" he asked, already advancing on her with Mjolnir. She laughed.

He stopped. Something was wrong.

"Oh, I have already won this battle, my mighty King," she taunted him. He swung at her with Mjolnir, but she simply wavered and disappeared. She could double herself as Loki did!

"Face me! Face me, you cowardly wretch!" he cried, as that feeling of…of _**wrongness**_ only spread, up his arm, and across to his heart. It spread through his entire body, an insidious cold, numbing.

"I have no need, Odinson," Morgana came back into view.

"Thor!" he could hear a familiar voice calling his name. Loki.

"I have already won," she murmured, reaching out one hand. She raised the knife, and Thor saw through darkening eyes that it gleamed with an evil sheen. "I prepared it specially, just for you, and Amora, and for Loki."

"Poison," he choked. He fought it, but it would not abate, and his knees weakened. Morgana laughed delightedly as he fell to his knees, Mjolnir falling from his grip with a heavy _**clunk**_.

"Oh yes. One of my own concoction," she hissed, leaning down to murmur in his ear. "One that even your Asgardian body will not be able to withstand."

Thor made to get up, to do something, anything, even if his last deed was to snap this malicious mortal's neck, but he could do nothing.

"Oh, don't get up," she whispered silkily. "The more you struggle, the faster the poison courses through your veins. You can already feel it burning through your muscles, reducing them to nothing. The mighty Thor, brought so low…"

"Thor!" Loki's voice again, this time desperate, pained. He could not answer, even as tears of rage and humiliation burned in his eyes. Morgana stepped close, pulling his head back by his hair, and raised the knife.

"Not long now," she murmured. "I had thought to do this with that little mortal of his, but his darling, beloved brother will have to do."

* * *

Loki snarled in frustration as the Jotunn he fought just would not get out of his way. Every time he dispatched one, more popped up in their place. He called Thor's name, catching glimpses of his hair, of his cloak, but he did not answer him as Loki fought his way toward him.

There came a lull in the wave of assailants, and what he saw froze his blood in shock and fear.

Thor, on his knees, Morgana stood before him with a knife in her hand, and the other cruelly pulling his head back. His brother, defeated…

No.

Determination burned strong in him, as he raised the staff, calling on the power of the tesseract. He would destroy her.

Until another stupid Jotunn jumped in front of him. "Not so fast, trickster!" it snarled. Loki blinked.

"So you do speak," he hissed. "Pity they were not better last words."

He lunged forward as the Jotunn did, the blade of the staff, newly infused with the magic of the tesseract, plunging into cold flesh. The Jotunn collapsed to its knees with a gurgled cry, and its hand snapped up to grab Loki's wrist.

He froze, shaking as an excruciating feeling of cold rushed up his arm, and it shook as armour and leather disintegrated before his very eyes.

Then horror replaced shock, as his skin turned…_**blue**_.

Raised ridges appeared on his skin, and the vivid hue chased its way up his arm. His body pounded with the pain and the fear, as his mind whispered what could be the only possible explanation.

_**Jotunn**_…

With a growl of rage, he broke free from the dying Frost Giant's grip and slashed its throat open with a knife, as he raised his hand.

The markings faded, the sapphire hue faded back into alabaster, and he felt the breath come short in his lungs, burning his throat. He stared at his hand.

Was this what it felt like to be undone? To feel his entire being unravelled, in one moment…?

"Silvertongue!" an accursed shout brought him back to himself. He was in battle, he could not afford distractions…

Thor!

He whipped around, raising the staff, and felt fear once more sink its claws in deep as he saw Morgana's wicked smirk. He pushed aside everything else, as he surged towards the pair, his heart pounding, every throb painful, every sensation of touch from his bare hand on the staff….reminding him of what had just occurred.

But he was a warrior, perhaps one of a different kind than Thor and Sif, but a warrior nonetheless. Emotions came second, the need to do must be done first. He had to save Thor.

His brother did not look well, his skin a ghastly, ashen grey. Loki's mind whispered something was wrong even as he waited for him to leap up with a laugh and smash Morgana into the next millennium with Mjolnir.

But he did not.

Morgana's smile deepened, as her voice echoed across the cavern. "Catch me if you can," she called tauntingly, before plunging her dagger into Thor's stomach. Loki felt a shout of denial leave his lips, even as his eyes saw the blade slide in, piercing the armour and layers of fabric beneath it, and into his abdomen.

Thor would be well. He was Aesir, he was_** Thor**_! He would heal…

Morgana laughed as Thor collapsed to his side, and turned tail, her dark hair flying as she rushed into one of the tunnels. Not stopping to think, knowing Thor would be alright, he had to be so, there was no other option, Loki threw himself after her.

He would make Morgana rue the day she was ever born.

* * *

Jane heard Loki's shout of denial. Her head shot up, and she pushed her head above the ledge of rock to see Morgana savagely stab a tall, armoured blonde man in a crimson cloak.

Who was he…?

Her heart clenched as she saw her lover, a look of almost bestial desperation on his usually handsome features, race after her. She ached for him.

She knew the man was Aesir from his armour and height, and she knew he could probably heal it himself, but she could help. She wasn't feeling as tired now.

She threw herself out into the melee, ducking energy blasts as she raced towards the newcomer's fallen body, ignoring Darcy's panicked shout. She threw herself down beside him, checking for a pulse.

It was weak. Jane frowned.

He was an Aesir, he should have just laughed it off. Suddenly a bearlike hand gripped her own, and lids opened to reveal azure blue eyes. She imagined they gleamed with a warm light usually, but now they were dull and struggling to focus.

The sounds of battle raged around them, but it all faded away as she tried to smile reassuringly.

"Hi," she murmured shakily. "I'm Jane."

"Jane," the blonde frowned. "Loki's Jane…"

"Yeah," she smiled, nodding.

"I guess I should call you sister," he muttered, before he started coughing. Jane frantically checked his pulse again, but it was only weakening. Blood poured from the wound, but sluggishly, and she could see it healing before her eyes.

"I don't understand," Jane murmured. "You're Asgardian. You're healing. What's wrong?"

"The blade…was poisoned," he coughed. "My body is weakening. I can feel it…"

"Ok," Jane muttered, looking around desperately for Fandral, or another Aesir. "Ok, we're going to get you help…uhhh…Thor, right? It'll be ok."

"I fear it is too late," Thor coughed again. "To be defeated by such a paltry thing. Typical."

"Hey, come on. Loki's going to need a best man at his wedding," Jane murmured, tears blurring her vision. Thor frowned, even though his vision was quickly fading.

"Best man? What is this custom?" he asked quietly.

"Old Earth thing. The bridegroom always has a best man, you know to hold the wedding rings, and make a really embarrassing speech about the groom afterwards…" Jane trailed off, as Thor smiled weakly.

"Hah! I think that is one custom I would eagerly fulfil," he laughed, before another paroxysm claimed him, and he coughed. Jane's breath hitched in fear, as she leant closer in, taking his hand.

"Come on, hold on. Loki will be back soon and he…he can heal you. Just hold on!" she whispered. Taking a deep breath, hoping she could help long enough for Loki to return, she placed her palm over the wound and called on her magic.


	23. Everything Changes

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Violence. Description of physical injury. Let's just say some of you are going to hate me…

Chapter Playlist: 'Brothers Fight' from 'Thor' and 'They Called It' from 'Avengers Assemble'.

* * *

'_Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.'_

_- Susan Scarf Merrell_

* * *

The tunnels were dark; almost pitch black, as Loki rushed through them, his every sense alive for the sound of light footsteps, the _swish_ of a velvet robe against the rock, or the heaviness of someone breathing while running.

He allowed nothing to pierce his single-minded determination. Get to Morgana, and finish her. No more games, no more mercy. She had harmed Thor and she would now pay the price for every innocent life she had destroyed.

He could barely think about what had…occurred before he saw his brother struck down by Morgana's hand. He couldn't, he wouldn't. He was Loki of Asgard, and he did as he wished.

He had to get Morgana.

It became a refrain in his head, pushing Loki on, giving him strength and speed, while he pushed aside the thought of what had happened when the Jotunn had touched his skin…

NO!

No…he needed to get to Morgana. Once she was gone, once Jane was safe and Thor recovered….

Doubt plagued him for one moment, before he pushed it aside with a snarl. Find Morgana. That was all he needed to do.

Find Morgana and end it.

* * *

Jane didn't have a clue what she was doing. Whatever Morgana had poisoned Thor with; it was far beyond anything Loki had had time to teach her before things went to hell.

Her hand was splayed out over Thor's wound, or what was left of it, blood coating her palm. It felt hot to her cooler human skin.

She sent out tendrils of magic through his body, trying hard to pin down the source of the poison, to nullify it. There! She had it!

Immediately, Jane knew she was in over her head. Cold, numbing chill spread through her body from her palm. It clouded her mind, stunted her senses and she gasped. Even as she tried to find it again, it slipped away from her.

She couldn't do this. Jane forced her hand away, chest heaving as that awful feeling of cold leached away. Thor lay beside her, his face still ashen and only growing paler by the moment, his golden hair dulled. Frantically, she looked around for Fandral or Loki, but she could see neither in the melee that was still going on around them.

_Think, Jane, think!_ she screamed at herself, pushing her loose hair back from her head determinedly, uncaring about the smear of blood the movement left behind on her cheek.

She just needed to keep Thor alive until Loki got back. Surely he'd be able to do something for his brother…

A memory returned, of something Loki had once told her about while they lay in bed together, after one of his lessons, when she'd asked about healing severe injuries and the energy it took up.

"_You're saying I could black out while healing someone?" she asked, eyes wide, looking up at her lover curiously. His smile was a little grim when he answered._

"_I have seen it happen, when young apprentice healers try to heal an injury too severe for their magic to handle," he replied carefully. "Once I saw a young apprentice attempt to bind a fallen warrior to life with her own life energy. It is a spell only the strongest sorcerers can attempt."_

"_What happened?" Jane asked, already knowing the answer from the saddened glint in Loki's eyes. He tucked back a stray lock of her hair, his fingers trailing down her cheek._

"_The strain grew too great, and both patient and healer died. Such a spell can only be maintained for a short amount of time for even a powerful sorcerer before the patient must either be healed or allowed to give in to the call of death," he sighed heavily, shifting in their bed, lying back to look at the ceiling, Jane still clasped tightly in his arms._

"_But it can be useful, as long as it doesn't take too long?" she continued. _

"_Whatever possible idea you're forming in that head of yours, Jane Foster, do not even contemplate it," he sat up, forcing her to meet his eyes with an intensity she hadn't seen in him before. "Even if you were strong enough to attempt the spell, you are not strong enough to maintain it. You would be dragged down into Hel along with the person you tried to keep alive. Promise me you will not attempt this! Ever!"_

She had given her promise, but…this was Loki's brother. She couldn't just leave him to die! Besides, she should be alright, as long as Loki wasn't too long. She understood the theory easily enough, and from the little she knew about poisons, they tended to target one of three places: the brain, the heart or the nervous system. In Thor's case, she suspected it was all three.

She took a deep breath, trying to push away the doubts already starting to race around her head. She could do this.

Feeling incredibly stupid, she raised her hands and placed one over Thor's heart and the other over his head. Closing her eyes, she stretched out with her magic.

Once again, she felt the poison, seeping into her, slow and numbingly cold, but she tried to ignore it as she examined Thor's body. She had been right; the poison affected all three major areas. She opened her senses, and felt a rush as the power of the tesseract, while distant as Loki carried it ever further into the tunnels in his chase of Morgana, spilled into her body. Suddenly, she felt stronger, more alert as fatigue left her limbs.

She could do this.

She constructed shields around all three main areas, infiltrating Thor's body with his magic, shielding him from the poison. But it was already too late; it burned inside of his heart, his brain and his nerves. The best she could do was to stop anymore from invading his body further, until Loki returned and could heal the rest.

A soft presence hesitantly touched her mind, and she shivered as she realised exactly why Loki called the tesseract a 'she'. Her grip tightened on Thor's forehead, as she remained as still as she could, trying not to use up energy moving unnecessarily.

* * *

Fandral could not help but laugh as he finished off the last of the Skrull flanking him. With a cry, he turned to see his old friend and Queen, Sif, rushing towards him with her bloodied glaive, an exhilarated smile on her glowing features.

"My Queen!" he laughed. "Well met!"

"Aye, Fandral. For once, your sword has done the talking," she laughed back, lazily beheading one fallen Skrull, as the enemy was quickly and efficiently routed. "Have you seen Thor?"

"No, I have not since you entered the chamber," Fandral murmured, a slight frown marring his good-natured features.

"Fandral!" a familiar voice shrieked, and he turned to find Darcy launching herself into his arms. Relieved, he held her tightly, kissing her unashamedly in front of Sif, and the other Aesir.

Sif laughed once more. "It seems Loki will not be the only one to bring home a bride," she chuckled, lowering her glaive.

Darcy was panting when she drew back. "Have you seen Jane?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern. "She ran out into the fight a few minutes ago, and I haven't seen her. She went to help some big blonde dude with a hammer…"

Sif's face paled at that, and Fandral felt fear rush down his spine. It could not be…

Sif was already searching the cavern, pushing aside enemy and ally alike as she rushed to look for her husband. She let out a piercing cry when she found them, Jane still bent over Thor, and Fandral and the others not far behind.

"What happened?" she demanded of Jane, but she did not reply. "Mortal, are you deaf!"

Fandral caught Sif's arm, and turned her to face him. "Not so harsh, my Queen!" he hissed. His eyes roved the mortal, and the fear inside of him roiled in his stomach. He knew a tethering spell when he saw one. "She's tethering him. Disturb her, and we could lose them both!"

Sif dropped to her knees, placing one hand gently on Thor's ruffled golden locks. Fandral looked to Tony as he rushed up, his great metal feet clanging on the rocks.

"Where is Loki?" he asked urgently. The suit's mask retracted to show his face, weathered and tired, streaked with sweat and soot.

"I saw him go after that Morgana woman," Tony replied tersely. They glanced to each other, both acknowledging that he was needed here. "What's Jane doing?"

"Tethering him to life with her magic and her own life force," Fandral explained. "It's risky magic, something only master healers can usually attempt. Even then, it can only be maintained for a short amount of time before the spell caster is killed along with their patient."

Tony's face paled. "We need Loki."

Steve's eyes wouldn't leave Jane's face, eyes shut, features passive, and he nodded. "You and Hawkeye go. Romanov, take the men and secure the perimeter. I need a communications set up ASAP so we can receive news from the other teams!" he called briskly. Fandral and Clint both nodded, and turned away, Tony going with them even though he had not been ordered to. Darcy dropped to her knees beside Jane, Thor and Sif. The Aesir Queen's eyes were filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall in front of the mortals and her men.

"Hold on, Thor," she murmured, glancing towards the almost unconscious mortal woman Loki loved. "Hold on, your brother is coming."

* * *

Morgana smiled as she reached the peak of the mountains, and melted into the shadows, waiting, the knife hefted in her slender hand.

She could feel his coming, his grief, his anger and something else…confusion. About what?

Too bad he would be dead before she could find out. A smile lit her eyes as she waited.

Loki emerged from the shadows of the cave mouth, eyes burning with rage, his pale face set beneath the helmet, his armour bloodied and tarnished. She could feel his rage like an exquisite perfume, radiating from him.

Just a bit closer…

Loki lifted the staff, and stepped out onto the small plateau of rock, and she struck.

The blow glanced off of his bracer as he spun to block the attack, and Morgana gasped as his hand shot out, crushing her windpipe as he lifted her into the air, high above his head, his chest heaving.

No, this was not how it was supposed to go! No! Not after all this waiting…

"You lose, Morgana," he growled, and another creature spoke from his lips. Morgana felt true fear fill her body, as his eyes seemed to turn crimson, and his skin darkened into sapphire blue, and raised markings covered his face. The knife fell from her grasp, and she fought for breath. His voice when he spoke was like the grinding of rock and ice in some ancient glacier, deep, cold and forbidding. "You will never harm another again."

He threw her then, and her back hit the rock face with a _crack_ of bone and skin. She fell to the ground, blood leaking from her mouth as she gazed up at the creature who stalked towards her, death staring at her out of those demonic eyes.

He paused, picking up her knife and hefting it in his left hand, the staff in the right. He knelt down in front of her, and tipped her chin up with its edge. Menace dripped from him.

"Now beg," he growled. "You are dying, but I have the power to ease it. Beg."

Morgana shook her head, even as she knew the truth in his words. Her life was ebbing, but the pain was building.

"What….are…you?" she gasped out with the last of her strength. His smile was grim as he glanced down at his hand, the blue tone reaching his hands.

"A monster," he replied coldly, meeting her eyes, promising her as much pain as he was capable of inflicting before she passed. She knew it, and the word fell from her lips in a ghost of a whisper.

"Please…."

Loki's smile deepened, even as tears welled in his eyes and froze on his sapphire cheek. His hand swept sideways, and a ribbon of crimson was painted across Morgana's throat. She choked, and her body contorted, before her eyes dulled and her final breath escaped her in a hiss from her severed windpipe.

It was over.

Loki stared as if in a trance at the bloodied knife and the hand of a monster that held it…

It wasn't his. It could not be his…

Slowly, the colour leached away, revealing pure, pale, unblemished skin he knew well. Hands that had healed and fought and killed and pleasured.

This was no trick. Loki knew tricks. No, he was…

"Loki!" a voice called his name. "Loki!"

Suddenly hands clutched his shoulders, and he was forced around to look into bright blue eyes.

Eyes as blue as his skin…

"Loki!" Fandral shouted. His eyes roved over the still form of Morgana, before they returned to his friend's blank face. "Loki, you must come quickly. Jane's in trouble!"

Jane…

Her name snapped him from his trance, and his head shot up, eyes wide. "Jane?" he breathed, before rising to his feet. Behind Fandral stood Clint and Tony, both with wide eyed expressions as they took in the corpse behind him.

"It's over?" Tony asked. Loki just nodded. "Whoop! Party time!"

Loki really did not understand mortals. Fandral was all but dragging him back into the tunnels, and he followed, his mind oddly quiet after the events of the past few moments.

"Fandral, what has happened?" he asked coolly. The blonde Aesir glanced to him worriedly.

"Thor is grievously injured and Jane appears to have attempted a tethering spell-" he began, but Loki's shout of rage interrupted him.

A tethering spell? Gods, the woman would be the death of him!

With a snarl, he turned tail and rushed back towards the chamber, hoping he was not too late.

Clint glanced to Tony and Fandral, the Iron Man shrugging. "Well, _**that**_ got him moving at least," he quipped, before the three followed Loki back to the chamber.

* * *

Darcy was seriously getting worried about her friend, as she knelt beside her. She was growing paler and paler, her breathing shallow and strained. Her hands were shaking where they lay on the cut blonde dude's head and chest.

She heard pounding footsteps, and was relieved when she turned to see Loki rush into the chamber. Without a pause, he threw himself down beside Jane and Thor, removing his helmet haphazardly.

"Loki," Sif breathed in relief. "Help them."

"Oh Gods, Jane," he groaned, taking in her pale face and trembling body. "I have to break the bond first," he told Sif, reaching out with his hands to cup Jane's face. "Or they'll both die. She's held on too long."

Sif nodded grimly, hiding her turmoil, even as she noted a…change in Loki. Gone was her proud brother-in-law, and now he seemed…wild.

He closed his eyes, and suddenly Jane gasped and shuddered, collapsing backwards. Fandral caught her, cradling her in his arms, as Darcy took her hand. Loki sighed a breath of relief, as he eyed his now peacefully sleeping lover, before he turned to Thor. Mustering all of his strength, he closed his eyes once more and stretched out his magic.

And felt the poison in Thor's body. His release of Jane's tethering spell had allowed the poison to course through his veins again, but…

It was already too late. The poison was entrenched in his very being, and there was nothing he could do. But he would try, or die so.

Loki bent his head, pushing all of his magic into his brother's body, beads of sweat collecting on his forehead, as he sought out wound after wound, tendril after tendril, but the poison was like smoke. How had Jane held on for so long?

Everything seemed to rush through his mind. The tesseract, Jane's smile, Thor's booming laugh, Sif's raven hair, Fandral's joyous grin…

The blue of his skin. The chill of his blood as his identity was stripped from him. The hellish crimson of his eyes…

He had to save his brother. He had to.

Except…Thor was not his brother. No, no, he would. He would save him, his big, stupid, noble, reckless brother.

He could not die here, not here…

It was too late. Suddenly, he felt a hand graze his cheek, and opened his eyes to see Thor's own staring up into his own. Joy momentarily suffused him, before the truth sank in.

This was just the last burst of energy before the end.

Thor's eyes were dull, hazed over with an inner pain that broke the very spirit of his strength. Shaking, teeth gritted against the agony, Loki allowed Thor to pull him close.

"Brother," he breathed. "It's alright…"

Looking into Thor's eyes, he saw…_forgiveness_. Because he had failed.

"No, Thor, I can heal you," Loki murmured desperately. "I can save you. You have duties to perform still."

"Yes," Thor coughed. "At your wedding. Your woman told me of…an…Earth tradition. I have to tell embarrassing….stories about you."

"You have many," Sif interjected, tears swimming in her own eyes, but like the warrior she was, she suppressed them still. "My love, please just hold on. You can beat this."

Loki had never heard Sif beg. Never.

"I fear I cannot, love," Thor choked out, stroking her cheeks. "I love you. I should…have told you more. I love you…"

Sif's cries were choked as she looked down, shaking with the force of her agony. Loki glanced across to Jane, stirring weakly in Fandral's arms, her hand clutched close in Darcy's.

"We won, Thor. The Nine Realms are safe," he told him, returning his gaze to his brother's.

"That will be your problem from now on," Thor groaned, patting his brother's shoulder. It felt like the glancing blow from a playful kitten. Alarm rushed through Loki, as he bent over his brother. "Promise me….one thing, Loki."

"Anything," he whispered, as tears broke free and silently slipped down his space.

"You will be a great king," Thor continued, as Sif took his other hand, pressing a kiss to it. "Look after…our family. Look after…our kingdom. Promise me…you will be good."

Pain slashed through Loki, as everything, all that had happened and been revealed, clashed inside of him. He wanted to howl, to cry, to kill something, to tear the worlds apart.

Because Thor was not his brother. Their family was not his family, their kingdom not his own.

He was…

"Loki," Thor's quiet voice interrupted his thoughts, as he stroked his brother's cheek. "Promise me!"

"I promise….my brother," Loki's own voice was strangled by pain and rage. "I promise."

Thor's strength seemed to wilt at that, and he collapsed back into his wife's arms, as Loki lunged forward with a cry of denial. Thor smiled weakly.

"Do not…blame yourself," he told him firmly, despite his fading voice. "I was glad…to die a warrior's death. And I….had time…to say goodbye."

"You idiot," Loki shook his head ruefully, fond exasperation in his voice even as his heart pounded in fear. Thor smiled, his cocky, devil-may-care smile one last time.

"Cow," he hissed back, and then his eyes seemed to dim. "Loki…"

His voice trailed off, and his head fell back. Loki stared at his brother….at the man he had called brother.

He was gone.

As Sif's mourning cry filled the cavern, and Jane awoke in Fandral's arms, Loki looked down on his fallen brother, and felt the world shift.

Everything had changed.


	24. In Memoriam

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Angst. Sexual content.

Chapter Playlist: 'The Funeral of Theodred' from the 'Complete Recordings: Lord of the Rings', 'Odin Confesses' from 'Thor', 'Murron's Burial' from 'Braveheart' and the first 2 minutes of 'All Of Them!' from 'King Arthur'.

Notes: The lament used below comes from the Lord of the Rings, used in Theodred's funeral scene in the Extended Edition. It isn't Norse, but it is Old English, which formed the basis of Tolkien's 'Rohirric', and since the Riders of Rohan were inspired by Norse culture, it seems fitting. Also the Norse language had some input in the development of English, so it fits somewhat. Obviously I changed some of the wording, and I do not own anything.

* * *

'_No words describe a mother's tears; no words can heal a broken heart. The dream is gone, the weather's cold.' _

_**- Phil Collins, Two Worlds, Tarzan**_

'_False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.'_

_**- Socrates**_

'_Love is not love,_

_Which alters when it alteration finds._

_Or bends with the remover to remove.'_

_**- Shakespeare, Sonnet 116**_

'_Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.'_

_**- Aristotle**_

* * *

The stars were veiled. A cold wind whipped across the large, open space where the people of Asgard gathered to see their King and firstborn Prince laid to rest.

Loki was stood at the very head of the procession, before Thor's body, staring down at it, a burning torch ready in his hand once the last words of the funerary ceremony were spoken.

Thor lay in the marble pyre beside, the sides and foot embossed with intricate designs of gold and runes for safe passage into Valhalla. Soon, it would be covered over and Thor would be left to rest while his body was consumed by fire, to speed his entrance into the afterlife.

Thor's hair was combed out and arranged around his head and shoulders, shining as softly as the gold that would decorate his tomb. His hands were clasped on his breast, his body clad from head to toe in shining mail, his crimson cloak of royalty spread beneath him. His eyes were closed, his brow smoothed. Loki would almost have thought him merely sleeping were it not for the marblesque pallor of his skin. Never had Thor looked so pale, in all his life. He had always been as golden as the sun.

Now at last, only in death, could anyone say they truly looked like brothers.

A sword lay above his head, a shield at his feet, as was the custom. Mjolnir could not be wielded by any other man but Thor, yet equally neither could it be destroyed with him by fire alone. It would be placed on his tomb, and Odin held it ready in his hands, Gungnir standing tall and steady in the ground beside him. Frigg stood beside him, her beautiful face obscured by the mourning veil she wore. Both King and Queen were clad in black, and as Sif stepped forward, her black skirts _swished_ gently as she took her place opposite Loki at the pyre, Thor lying between them on red velvet cushions.

Sif's hair was elaborately coiled at the base of her neck, a golden circlet bound across her pale brow. Her warrior's figure was clothed in harsh black, the long sleeves brushing the floor as she grasped the black veil that covered her hair but not her face. A cloak hung from her shoulders.

Loki met her eyes, full of sorrow and pain too great to be given voice, and bowed his head.

Looking around at the people he had called family all his life, the memory of his confrontation with his father intruded…

* * *

_It had been ten days since he had left Earth to come back to Asgard with his brother's body. Ten days…_

_He had done his duty. He had told his f-…the All-Father and Queen Frigg of the circumstances of Thor's death. The All-Father had seemed to crumble at the news of his son and heir's death, even as Frigg had cried out in shock and agony, weeping over her son once they were alone in their chambers. Loki had held her with a strange sense of detachment. _

_Nothing had seemed real._

_He had prepared for Thor's funeral, played the mourning brother and prince as was expected._

_Enough. He could not do it anymore, not with the poison festering inside of him. He felt nightly as he relived, in his dreams, his skin turning blue at the touch of Jotunn. _

_All of his life…was it a lie? All of it? He supposed he should find it ironic, since in Midgardian mythology he was the God of Lies._

_Earth…things had been so simple there. He had been with Jane; he had aided the Avengers in taking back their world. He had destroyed Morgana._

_Jane…how he missed her. He had been forced to leave her, she too in mourning for the death of her mentor, but she had let him go, knowing he had to accompany his brother back to Asgard. He had promised to return._

_She did not know. How could he tell her? That he might be a monster? One of the same monsters who helped to destroy her life? That she had lain with an accursed demon?_

_He ached for her. He needed her so desperately._

_He knew he had to do. He needed to see for himself, to find incontrovertible proof so he could return to Jane with a clear heart and mind, and know what he had to do._

_Deep with the Vault, beneath the throne room, was kept the Casket of Ancient Winters. It could only be used by a Jotunn._

_If he was…one of them, then it would work for him._

_Fear sank its claws in deep as Loki had strode down the Vault, the guards giving way to now Crown Prince of Asgard. Had he been in a laughing mood, he would have chuckled at the irony of it all. But he could only manage a smirk, mirthless, weak, as he approached the pedestal on which sat the Casket._

_Hoping, praying, he reached out and clasped its handles, the Casket humming gently as it sensed the approach of one with the blood and power to wield it. _

_The moment he grasped it, he knew. A thrill of power, cold, as icy as the wilds of Jotunheim, shot up his arms, and he watched in detached fascination as the vivid blue chased itself up his hands, and no doubt up his arms._

_So it was true. He was a monster…_

"_Loki!" a familiar voice cried, and he paused. His pause quickly turned to anger, and a quiet hatred, as he placed the Casket back on its plinth. "Stop!"_

"_What am I?" he snarled. He knew, but he wanted his __**father**__ to say it. He wanted to hear the awful truth from Odin's lips. _

"_You are my son," he replied firmly. A choked laugh left Loki's lips, as he turned around. He could only imagine what he looked like: blue skin, ridged markings and crimson eyes._

_Odin did not flinch, but beneath his rage and his shame, Loki was shocked at the sadness in his….in the All-Father's eyes. Never in his life had the All-Father shown such…weakness. Not even when he brought back news of his broth…of Thor's death, had he shown outward emotion, but now tears glistened in that single eye._

"_What more than that?" He had growled, stepping forward, stalking towards him purposefully._

_With a shiver, he felt the illusion reassert itself, his blue skin turning back to pale white, his eyes from red to green, his skin turning smooth. He wondered, after all his years of studying magic, how he had missed such an illusion buried within his very being for so long?_

_His magic rippled and snarled within him, and he was glad that the tesseract was far from him now, in his chambers. A darkness was growing inside of him, mad, wild, uncontrollable. He did not wish to yield to temptation even now._

_His voice broke as he stopped before Odin, the King golden-robed and stern on the steps before him, and he looked up at him almost pleadingly, despite his harsh, cold words. "The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day was it?" he asked. _

"_Loki-" the All-Father breathed his name, heavily, as if to do so was a burden. That was Loki had ever been to him, a burden. A prize of war._

"_Do not lie to me, __**Father**__," he spat._

"_No," Odin sighed. He looked down and away, as Loki watched him unceasingly, unrelentingly. "In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the temple and I found a baby. Small, for a giant's offspring, abandoned. Suffering, left to die. Laufey's son."_

_Those final words cut into Loki's heart, as he lowered his gaze. His heart, numbed until then, pounded back into painful life, and his breath came short. Laufey's son…?_

_To be a Jotunn was bad enough, but to the son of that…monster? His world, everything he had ever known, crashed into nothingness around him. His life, all lies…_

"_Laufey's son?" he repeated the words, sounding wrong to him even in his own head. Perhaps some naïve, childish part of him hoped that Odin would deny it, even as he had said it._

_But he did not. "Yes. When your mother told me of the invasion of Midgard, I feared for you. I feared that if you came into contact with them, that you would find out this way. I am sorry, my son…"_

"_Why?" Loki gasped, not caring about the All-Father's apologies. They meant nothing. "You were knee deep in Jotunn blood, why would you take me?"_

"_You were an innocent child-"_

_Loki almost wanted to laugh. This was the All-Father; nothing he did was for such romantic reasons as innocence! "No, you took me for a purpose. What was it?" he asked desperately. The All-Father always had a purpose. When Odin did not reply, his heartbreak and his anguish burst from him in a pained scream. "TELL ME!"_

"_I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about a truce, bring about a permanent peace…through you," he finally explained, coolly, without emotion. Loki almost staggered back under the weight of such an admission._

_All of his life, exposed as a lie. He was never a Prince of Asgard; he was never a true contender for the crown. He was just a pet, a diplomatic bargaining tool._

_He was nothing._

"_But those plans no longer matter," Odin continued. "Thor is…gone, and now the throne will fall to you. You will be King of Asgard, Loki. You are my son."_

_Loki stepped back, stepped away. "I was nothing," he snarled darkly, his hands clenching into fists. "A stolen relic. A pet! All these years, you favoured Thor over me, despite how much you claimed to __**love**__ me! You told me I was born to be a King as much as Thor, and now I am only worthy because Thor is dead?"_

"_You twist my words, Loki," the All-Father murmured, but Loki shook his head._

"_You could have told me what I was from the beginning, why didn't you!" he asked, tears breaking loose without his knowledge, painting his cheek with wet trails. Never had he longed more for his Jane's arms._

"_You are my son," Odin replied firmly. "I wanted only to protect you from the truth."_

"_Because I-I'm the monster that parents tell their children about at night?" the cry was half sarcasm, half pained revelation. "Always to be hidden away, ignored, passed over?"_

"_Loki, no," he breathed, moving forward. "No."_

_Loki moved back, shaking his head, refusing to let him touch him. He would not be petted any longer. No more. He took his emotions, his fear, his rage, his anguish and locked them away. Fitting that a Frost Giant should be able to conjure a wall of ice around his heart._

"_Never fear, __**father**__," he sneered, drawing himself up, taller than Odin, towering over him threateningly, his voice dark, bestial with viciousness as his eyes gleamed with tears. "Your loyal pet will play his part for the grieving masses. You needn't worry about that. Give my condolences to the Queen."_

_And with that, his fists shaking, he had turned his back on the All-Father and escaped before he lost all control…_

* * *

Loki was drawn from his memories, by the soft, lilting voice of Sif, trembling yet still so strong, like a lily blighted by frost.

"Nú on théostrum licgeth Thor se léofa, hæ´letha holdost. Ne sceal hearpan sweg wigend weccean; ne winfæ´t gylden guma sceal healdan, ne god hafoc geond sæ´l swingan, ne se swifta mearh burhstede beatan," she stepped closer to the pyre, passing one hand over Thor's brow, her voice unfaltering as she stepped back, and around the pyre, to Loki's side.

"Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended, giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende, on Asgard thæt he ma no wære, his dryhtne dyrest and maga deorost."

At that, Loki stepped forth, his eyes locked on Thor's closed eyelids as he lowered the burning torch. He thought of all they had seen together, fought together, learned together as brothers. He thought of all that might have been, but now never could.

He should weep. He knew he should, but that wall of ice around his heart was hardened. Instead, Loki dug the torch into the kindling beneath the crimson cushions that supported Thor's mighty frame.

"Goodbye, brother," he whispered, and with it, he said goodbye to his childhood, his life as he thought he knew it. With a gesture and a word, the flames leapt higher, tinged with a deep emerald.

Loki stepped back, as the weeping of maidens and warriors alike filled the air. He turned to face the assembled citizens of Asgard, meeting the saddened gazes of Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral, and so many others.

He wondered what they thought of this, the death of a King and the ascension of the less-favoured second son.

The son of the enemy.

He bowed to the All-Father and Queen Frigg formally, his face cold, impassive. He felt nothing as he walked away, ignoring the disapproving murmurs and the stares, into the Palace.

Let them think what they will. He was not what they thought he was. He was not what _**he**_ thought he was.

At that thought, his breathing accelerated without control, and his entire body began to shake. He broke into a run, rushing through halls of gold and marble, past statues of great Warriors past, past rooms and libraries and halls he had known all his life.

All a lie.

He stopped in one distant hallway, dark except for a single shaft of light. He rested his forearms against the cool golden wall, and closed his eyes. He could not do this.

He could not play this charade. He needed to get away.

He needed Jane. His Jane, the only person in his life who had never lied to him. He might no longer be worthy of her, but even if all of Hel dragged him away after, he needed her.

* * *

_SHIELD medical facility, Olympia National Park, Washington State._

Jane shivered in the unfamiliar bed. It had been ten days since the final battle, since Morgana fell.

Since she failed to save Thor.

Loki had gone home, to Asgard. She wouldn't have blamed him if he never returned. He had lost his brother, after all.

She had lost Erik. She had hoped she was wrong, when she overheard Morgana talking, hadn't let the thought develop in her mind. She couldn't, she had to survive. She couldn't have afforded to collapse.

She, Darcy and all personnel injured in the fighting had been moved to Washington, to one of SHIELD's medical facilities, hidden in the forests of the Olympic National Park. It was beautiful, peaceful.

Since her reckless attempt at tethering Thor to life, she had been on bed rest for three days, then allowed gentle exercise since the fifth. And now she was allowed to do more, to walk the paths of the forest as she wished.

It suited her mood, reminded her of Erik, of Loki. Darcy missed Fandral, that was plain to see on the unusually subdued girl's face. She hoped he came back for her.

She wanted to see Loki, wanted to feel his arms around her again. She was well enough physically, if tired easier than she had been before, but…she needed him.

But he had his brother to mourn, and a kingdom to rebuild. He was the heir to the throne now, he was needed there.

Jane thumped her pillow, rolling over in bed, trying to get comfortable. The room was far larger than her own had been back in New Mexico, the bed about four times as big, but she was far too used to sharing it with someone now. Sleeping was going to impossible again.

The nightmares had started again, so she supposed she should be grateful she couldn't sleep. She hadn't used magic since the battle, but she could still feel it at the edge of her consciousness.

She could feel Loki's too.

A familiar voice rang out in the darkened room, and she sat bolt upright.

"Well, I must say this is a vast improvement on your former accommodations," Loki's silky voice came from the shadows, and she scrambled for the bedside light. It flicked on, swamping the room with soft golden light, revealing her lover stood beside the door to her room.

He was dressed from head to toe in black, in some kind of long-sleeved tunic, breeches and boots. His dark hair was slicked back from his face, and his sad emerald eyes held hers lovingly.

She smiled, for the first time in days, and launched herself into his arms. They closed around her, tightly, and he buried his nose in her sweet-smelling hair. Yes, here was where he belonged.

In Jane's arms.

"I missed you," she whispered into his hair. "I'm so glad you're back."

"Obviously," he murmured caustically. Jane frowned, her entire body tensing, and she pulled back, although only so far. Loki's arms were like a steel chain around her waist.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked quietly. "What's happened?"

Loki cursed himself for his incivility. Jane was not to blame for the mess that his life had become.

"Forgive me, love," he whispered in her ear. "It has been…hard."

She stroked a lock of hair back from his cheek, meeting his eyes. There was something…different there. She thought she felt it, when he came to see her before he left with his brother. She'd put it down to grief, but now…now it was more than just grief. So much more.

There was an aching void inside of him, empty, dark. A wild, hurt animal prowled behind those beloved emerald eyes, making Jane shiver.

Loki saw the dawning comprehension in her eyes, and couldn't bear it. He bent his head and kissed her almost viciously, need and the separation forced on them by events too much to bear. His Jane, his. The only one who had never lied to him.

Jane gasped as she was pressed back against the wall, Loki's mouth insistent on hers. She returned it eagerly, everything that had happened over the past few months catching up on her, and suddenly he was not close enough, not kissing her hard enough, his hands not possessive enough. Her entire body screamed for his, and her hands frantically went to the his over-tunic, pushing it off and to the floor, before starting on the little line of buttons leading up to his chin on the undershirt.

She clasped her legs around his waist, moaning as his lips hungrily marked her neck, moving down. He growled when he reached the neckline of her sweats. "You and this blasted clothes!" he snarled. Jane met his eyes, panting softly against his lips, and then he closed his eyes. Now she knew something was wrong.

"Don't shut me out, Loki," she breathed, forcing back her need, stroking his hair back from his face where it had fallen in their sudden burst of passion. "I love you, let me help you."

He sighed, taking her weight and gently laying her on the bed, his shirt undone and gaping, revealing a wide 'V' of skin that called to Jane. But his eyes, when they met hers, were so sad that concern overwhelmed desire, and she nestled her palm against his cheek comfortingly.

"You shouldn't," he told her painfully. "You shouldn't love me, you shouldn't want to help me."

"Why not?" she asked, gently. Loki looked down, unable to bear her soft concern. The urgency in his blood cooled slightly, and he was filled with the need to just hold her, one last time before she turned tail and ran away screaming.

So he told her everything. About how his skin had changed blue when the Jotunn touched him during the battle in Morgana's stronghold, how it changed again when he lost control of his emotions and killed Morgana. He explained his true origins, that Odin and Frigg had lied to him his entire life. That he was a monster, a Jotunn, A Frost Giant.

When he finished his tale, he noticed the moon had almost fallen back beneath the horizon, his gaze studying it intently, afraid to meet Jane's gaze.

She touched his chin, turned it to face her determinedly. "Show me," she said firmly. He stared at her in horror. "Show me."

Trembling, but unable to deny her, he stood from the bed and turned to face her. Shuddering, he closed his eyes. It was almost too easy to just flick the illusion away, and he felt the cold thrill as his Aesir appearance gave way to his natural self.

He stood and waited for her screams.

* * *

Jane's jaw dropped slightly as Loki changed. It started from his hands, moving up his arms, in a shimmering dark sapphire blue, and across his chest and neck, before it suffused his face. Ridged markings appeared on his skin, and across his forehead, intricate and beautiful. Her eyes followed their patterns, as if almost hypnotised.

He was beautiful. How could this creature, this divine, seductive, wonderful _**God**_ think himself a monster? Anger filled her, at Frigg, at Odin, at his biological father Laufey, at everyone who had ever made him feel inferior or second rate. Who dared to imply he was a monster.

She wondered if he was as cold as she had heard Frost Giants were. Intrigued, she leant her hand out, and touched his chest. His reaction was gratifying, as his breath hitched sharply, and his entire body tensed. He was not unpleasantly cold, still cooler than her own skin was, but she was hot enough as it was for the both of them.

"You're beautiful," she breathed, her thoughts slipping from her mouth. His eyes snapped open, and it was like looking up into two ruby jewels. He was like one walking, talking, living jewel.

"Jane…" he gasped, and he sounded so sad, so anguished, clearly disbelieving, that she lunged forward and kissed him, holding him to her by the lapels of his shirt. He stilled under her onslaught, before his grip fell to her waist and he pulled her into him, his kiss savage yet oddly grateful, as she cradled his cheeks in her hands, dipping her fingers into his long, dark hair. He pulled back, panting. "Jane, this is the skin of a monster, not something beautiful or-"

"Shut up!" she snapped, kissing him fiercely to illustrate her point. She broke away, forcing his crimson eyes to meet hers, the marks on his forehead standing out starkly against his skin. "Now listen closely, Loki. You are not a monster. You are not a monster, and no amount of shouting, intimidation or protest is going to convince me otherwise."

Loki opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off again.

"I'm not finished," she said firmly. "After everything you've just told me, nothing has changed. You are still the man I loved twenty minutes ago, and I still love you now. Just because you're a Frost Giant does not mean you are a monster. The colour of a person's skin is just that: a colour. It means nothing. It is our actions that define us as monsters or saints, and quite frankly, yours are leaning towards the latter category. Most of the time, anyway. And I don't care how much convincing I have to do, I will make you accept it. I love you and you are not a monster."

He tried to look down but her grip was gently irresistible. She met his gaze squarely, so he had no choice but to see the love and the devotion shining in her tear-filled eyes, like shimmering amber.

He was dimly aware of wetness against his cheek, and was horrified to realise it was his own tears. But her words, her fierce love, was like a balm to his wounded soul, and it pushed him to speak.

"Ever since I realised what I was," he ground out, cradling the hands against his face. "I've felt a darkness growing inside of me. A madness. Everything I once thought I knew is a lie, or is forever changed. It's all collecting inside of me, and I fear I might explode with it. I'm dangerous, Jane."

"I know," she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, making him shiver. He was more sensitive in this skin, it seemed. She pressed more kisses to his neck, and the skin exposed by his shirt, making him groan and push into her ministrations, his hand gently holding the nape of her neck.

"Jane, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice a husky, grinding shadow of its usual sophistication.

"Proving to you that I don't care," she replied, pulling him down to her. "Make love to me, like this."

"Jane," he flinched away, shaking his head.

No, no! Jane frantically reached out, catching his hand, making him see the acceptance, the need in her eyes.

"Please?" she whispered, pulling him back towards her. Loki could not deny her, the urgency in his veins claiming ascendancy, and he bent his head back to hers, his hands straining her to him, his touch _burning_ through her thin cotton sweats. Their tears ran freely, mingling on their tongues, moistening their skin as Jane explored Loki's Jotunn body with mindless enthusiasm, and his grip tightened enough to bruise, but she just moaned and pressed herself deeper into his arms, into his kiss.

She pushed his shirt off as he lowered her to the bed, her head nestled on the pillow. She carefully extended a tendril of magic, brushing his and felt relief when it entwined with hers fully. She accepted it eagerly.

He felt it, and it began to heal his broken heart, as Loki went to her, arms open, her glorious form bared to his caresses, her eyes unafraid as they stared up into his own, crimson, eyes.

She accepted him, darkness, Jotunn, and all. She had felt that darkness, that untamed edge weeks back, when he had first awakened her magic. Now she eagerly taunted that darkness, all the while soothing his pain, murmuring her love against his skin, eyes wide open and heart firmly in his hands.

There was more to say, more to discuss, but this would do for now. Jane needed Loki, and Loki needed Jane. There was nothing else to say.

For once in his complicated, twisted life, Loki revelled in something so simple, it almost made him laugh through his tears.

He loved her, and she loved him.

It was there in the way her body arched against his. The way she moaned his name, clutched his hair as his lips trailed the graceful column of her throat, the way she accepted him without a qualm, without trepidation. It was there in the way she pulled him to her in the aftermath, her leg hitched over his hip, holding him to her, as he buried himself in her arms, his tears falling silently from closed lids, and blue skin faded back to white. It was there in the way she melted the ice around his heart without fear of what she might find.

Her own tears mingled with his own, as he mourned freely, for the first time, for Thor, for his brother, until they both fell asleep as the sun rose over the Earth, its pink and golden rays shining over them through the open window like a gentle benediction.

* * *

**A/N:** Naturally there is far more to be said and done, about the whole business, but I'll leave that to the next chapter. For those interested, here is the English translation of the funeral lament for Thor:

_Now dear Thor lies in darkness, most loyal of fighters._

_The sound of the harp shall not wake the warrior; nor shall the man hold a golden wine-cup, nor good hawk swing through the hall, nor the swift horse stamp in the evil death has set forth the noble warrior,_

_A song shall sing sorrowing minstrels,in Asgard that he is no more,to his lord dearest and kinsmen most beloved._


	25. A Moment Of Calm

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Some sexual content.

Chapter Playlist: 'Nearer My God To Thee (Instrumental)' from 'Titanic', and 'From Western Wood to Beaversdam' from 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'.

* * *

'_Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.'_

_**- Winston Churchill**_

* * *

It came as no surprise to Loki that he did not dream as he slept in Jane's arms. For once, the nightmares that plagued him of his heritage momentarily suppressed.

He awoke to the oddest sensation, as if butterflies were skipping down his throat with heated feet. The warmth pressing against him shifted and stretched, and his eyes opened lazily.

"Woman, you are trying to kill me," he moaned, as Jane's head slipped ever further down his chest, her lips painting a heady, heated trail down his now pale skin. She glanced up at him, an impish light in her eyes. "And people call me the God of Mischief…"

"Does that make me your Goddess?" she asked, abandoning her exploration to kiss him good morning. His own smile was wolfish when their lips parted.

"Always," he breathed. Jane was relieved to see some of his old mischievousness return, but she could tell it was tempered still by sadness. His smile faded, and her heart broke to see how much confidence he had lost. How was it even possible for him to lose so much? Loki who was so powerful and self-assured, now bereft of identity and place, lost and unsure of what he should do.

She wouldn't let him stay lost. Teasingly she stroked her finger over his lips, distracting him from whatever dark place his thoughts had taken him to, before running them over the bridge of his nose.

"Jane?" he asked, eying her warily.

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Distracting you," she replied cheerily. He mock-frowned, the effect ruined by the slight smile flitting on and off his mouth.

"Yes, it is confirmed," he joked. "Definitely the Goddess of Mischief."

Jane chuckled, ceasing her attentions and lying back down beside him, shifting to get as close to him as possible. His arms came around her, and she sighed contentedly as she rested her head on his chest. She knew there were still things they needed to talk about, but she didn't want to push him any further until he was ready. She was content just to be there for him, with him, loving him without condition.

Loki knew it, and was grateful for it, for her understanding. Before he met her, he would have scorned such compassion as weakness, refused to drop his guards for anyone even his own moth-…even for the Queen. But with Jane, he was powerless.

Her smile faded slightly, and he frowned. She bit her bottom lip, and he rolled his eyes. "What is it?" he asked, flicking some hair back from her face so his view was unimpeded.

"There's a memorial service at midday, for those who died in the war and at the New Mexico base, and all over the world in fact. They think it'll be good closure for those who were stuck under the Enchantresses' control for so long. Tony will be there, and Maria, and some of the others," she explained hesitantly. "They're sending a plane for me, Darcy and some of the others. Would you come?"

He watched her as she began to dither, in response to his silence. "I mean I can understand if you'd rather not, or…or if you don't want anyone to know you're here, or-"

He cut her off with a kiss, amused by her uncertainty. He sensed she needed him there, and who was he to refuse after all she had given him last night? "Of course, I will come," he murmured. "It will be good to see Tony again. We did not speak much before I left for Asgard."

"I get emails from Pepper telling me he's driving her crazy because he's bored and says the planet's IQ went down when you left. Apparently, he thinks there's no one left to match him in a sarcasm contest," she told, her smile returning as Loki chuckled.

That smile faded again, as she looked down at their hands, joined, her slender fingers and palm held tightly in his own. "Thank you, for what you did for Erik. I know you tried to heal him," she murmured. He caught the glimmer of tears in her eye, and sighed, pulling her closer.

"I am sorry I could not. He was like a father to you, was he not?" he replied softly. Jane nodded.

"After Mom and Dad died, he basically raised me," she told him. "So yeah, I guess you could say he was my Dad in a way. He was there for all of it, for every spot, nightmare, prom night gone wrong, every failed test and graduation nerves and sleepless night. I gave him hell, looking back on it all…"

She felt Loki's sigh, his body tense against hers, and gathered her courage for what she had to say. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Not really, but what I want to and what I _**need**_ to do are two different things," he replied, meeting her eyes again, and she caught her breath at the pain in them. "From a cold-blooded point of view, I understand at least some of his reasoning. He saw me and took me as an opportunity to influence the future of Jotunheim. Even his not telling anyone of my true origins, of raising me as an Aesir, even _**that**_ I can understand, but not to tell _**me**_ the truth…so much could have been explained if I had known the truth. No other would have needed to know; I can easily imagine the reactions of the people if they had discovered their second Prince was the son of the enemy, but to lie to me for so many years…"

"Maybe your mother and father were afraid you would still feel different if you knew," she murmured. "Not that it excuses what they've done-"

"They are not my parents," he told her, coldly, firmly. Jane's eyes narrowed, and she sat up, making him instantly miss her warmth, her eyes aflame as she stared down at him, arms crossed over her chest.

"I can't say I agree with what your parents have done," she began coolly. "Hell, I haven't even met them, and already I'm imagining the stereotypical awkward, tense Christmas dinners scenario, but despite what they've done, what you think, they are your parents, Loki."

He opened his mouth to retort, but she cut him off again determinedly.

"Do you really think that just because Laufey helped create you that makes him your father? That a female Frost Giant gave birth to you makes her your mother? If Erik taught me anything, it was that it takes so much more than that to be a parent. My parents gave birth to me, but it was Erik who raised me, taught me, nurtured me, loved me and protected me all of my life."

It had made him more her dad than the shadowy figure in her memories.

Loki looked down, not wanting her to see the uncertainty in his eyes, but she grasped his face, forcing his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm not saying you should forgive them anytime soon," she murmured, softer now. "But Frigg is your mother, Odin is your father. And despite what you think, you know who you are. Finding out you are a Frost Giant hasn't changed anything, not really. You are still a Prince of Asgard, you are still Loki Odinson, and you are still the annoyingly good-looking, sarcastic, charming, arrogant, far-too-smooth for your own good man I'm in love with. The only thing that has changed is up here," she pointed to his forehead, as he watched her in something like shock.

"You forgot horrendously intelligent," he quipped, breaking the tense silence. She rolled her eyes.

"Case in point: arrogant," she muttered. His eyes narrowing playfully, he reached out and pulled her back down beside him, rolling her beneath him.

"You are quite wise, for a mortal," he murmured, brushing her lips with his.

"Yeah, us mortals aren't too shabby," she retorted teasingly.

"_**My**_ little mortal," he growled, and she laughed as she reached up to kiss him.

"Uh-huh."

Their kiss was just becoming heated when Loki broke away, his body crying out for her again. "How long until we must board this…plane?" he asked. Jane glanced to a small black object with a glowing screen on the bedside table. 7:00am.

"We've got two hours," she murmured. The service was in Washington DC where the emergency Congress had set aside a special plot for SHIELD agents and personnel who had died in the fighting in the USA. "But Darcy or a nurse comes by at 8."

"Well, we must be sure to give them a good show," he chuckled wickedly, leaning over her and gliding one hand down her body, making her writhe beneath him as he hit her nerves endings with magic, a soft cry shivering from her lips. "Because what I have in mind will take considerably longer than one hour…"

* * *

Loki was not entirely unacquainted with the odd flying contraptions the mortals used, known as aeroplanes. He had seen many at the SHIELD base in New Mexico, but those had been sleek, dark and obviously meant for combat and stealth. The shining white vehicle awaiting them on the airstrip was larger, and as he walked inside, upholstered in cream leather and dark wood, designed for comfort not combat.

He had opted for Midgardian clothing rather than his Asgardian garments, left in a neat pile at the bottom of Jane's closet. He guessed he looked well, if Jane's arrested gaze had been anything to go by when she had seen him.

As for Jane…

Her dress was, for Asgardians rather short, ending at her knees, but it clung to her figure like water. It seemed black was the universal colour for mourning, in many cultures.

As soon as they ducked inside, they saw Darcy, looking pretty in a black lace dress and coat, seated towards the back, away from the military personnel in uniform, and her eyes brightened when she saw them.

And then widened until they almost bugged out of her head.

She launched herself up the aisle and into Loki's arms, Jane glancing at Loki, restraining the urge to laugh at the completely confused look in his eyes.

"Loki!" she almost screamed. "When did you get here? God, it's so good to see you again!"

Loki awkwardly raised his arms, clearly unsure what he should do as Jane just struggled not to double over laughing. With a narrow glare at her unhelpfulness, he lightly patted Darcy on the head, until she let him go.

She looked to Jane questioningly. "Ok, when did he get here? Spill, Missy!" she grabbed Jane's arm, leading her down the aisle to the seat beside her. Now it was Jane's turn to look to Loki beseechingly, but he just smiled wickedly and waved her away.

Oh, she was going to get him back for that later.

Once the plane had taken off, Darcy finally quietened slightly, eying Jane's lover in his dark suit.

"Damn, he looks cut in that suit!" she whistled, as Jane hid her face in her palm. "So when did he get here? Last night? Did he mention Fandral?"

"He got here last night," Jane replied, smiling slightly at Darcy's lack of subtlety. "I don't know about Fandral. He kind of left in a hurry, I think."

"Oh. Ok," Darcy deflated a little, and Jane sighed. A little white lie never went amiss.

"He did say Fandral asked after you," she added, and the brunette perked up a bit. While she went to the bathroom, Jane jumped as a familiar hand slid over her wrist, and she looked sideways to find Loki in Darcy's seat.

"Did mine ears deceive me or did I just hear my lady lie?" he asked, leaning in so his words reached her ears alone.

"She was depressed," she muttered back repressively. "And don't even get me started on the irony of the God of Lies telling _**me**_ off for a little white lie that hurts no one?"

"Was I telling you off?" Loki frowned playfully. "Hmm, no, I prefer to leave that until we're alone in your room, my lady."

Jane couldn't suppress a shiver at that. "Behave!" she hissed at him. "We're on a plane, for God's sake!"

"Hmm I had heard of something called the 'Mile High Club'…." he trailed off, laughing quietly at Jane's shocked look.

A moment later she shook her head ruefully. "Tony," she growled. Loki smirked and glanced away, out of one of the windows, and it faded slightly as his eyes scanned the minute buildings and roads below. Even thousands of feet up, the damage caused by the war was unmistakeable.

"What measures are being taken to clean up the damage?" he asked, glancing back to Jane.

"At the moment, it's mostly just control. There were so many people displaced by the fighting that it's a logistical nightmare to even contemplate. There have been emergency governments thrown up until things have calmed down enough to hold democratic elections again. Most are in refugee camps; the countries that managed to remain free during the war are helping as much as they can, but they've got their own problems to deal with. It's going to be slow work, no matter what they do. SHIELD's providing logistical aid where it can, but it's tough," she explained. He frowned, nodding to himself.

Suddenly he felt Jane's hand take his own, squeezing gently. "Hey," she breathed. "What is it?"

He smirked slightly at the irony of what he was about to say. Not long ago, the prospect of helping humans would not have even crossed his mind. How times had changed.

"Just considering possible ways I might help," he murmured. "After all, Asgard owes you at least some debt for ending the war, and keeping the tesseract out of Amora and Morgana's hands."

Jane looked surprised for a moment, before she smiled and leant in, her lips brushing Loki's ear. "Now does that sound like the words of a monster?" she asked, her words teasing but the look in her eyes anything but. He glanced to her, nonplussed, but Jane just smiled and looked away as Darcy took the seat opposite again.

* * *

The plane touched down in Washington DC, the engines' roar fading to a purr, as everyone took off their seatbelts. Loki glanced towards Jane, saw the paleness of her face, and shot a look at Darcy. She nodded, and left them to it, as he took Jane's hand.

"It'll be alright, love," he murmured, as she met his eyes, her own slowly brimming with tears. He pressed a kiss to her knuckles, as she nodded and wiped her eyes, careful not to smudge that odd black liquid she'd called mascara. She stood, pulling her coat tightly around herself as she led the way out of the plane, Loki at her back, one hand firmly around her waist.

Everyone Loki had known at the New Mexico base was there, or at least those that had survived. As he shook hands with a cheerful Tony and a warmly smiling Maria, he guessed Darcy had forewarned them of his presence before he and Jane appeared. Clint clapped his shoulder, Natasha grinned and pressed cheeks with Jane, and even Steve managed a cordial nod.

The memorials were set near Arlington National Cemetery, a large marble plaque set in front of dozens of whitewashed wooden grave markers. It would be several months before they could be replaced with tombstones.

On the marble plaque was engraved the names of the SHIELD personnel who died in the course of the war. There were so many, as Jane took a seat beside Loki on the chairs set out for the assembled guests, and Maria, her arm in a sling, broken in the last battle, dressed in smart black, took her place at the lectern, draped with the flags of the USA and SHIELD.

"Good afternoon, and thank you for coming," she began. Above them the sky stayed clear and blue, a gentle breeze ruffling the clothes of the guests. Maria spoke warmly and eloquently about the men and women who died fighting the Enchantresses, who gave their lives unstintingly in service of their planet.

As she spoke, Jane felt the tears come but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't fall apart, not here. Loki's hand was tight in hers, and she glanced at him, meeting his emerald eyes that were full of understanding. Wordlessly, he pulled her to him, letting him put his arm around her. Glancing to her left, she glimpsed Tony comforting Pepper, and Steve with his arm around Darcy. Clint and Natasha sat together, faces impassive, but their hands entwined together between their chairs, where few could see.

Maria's voice cracked slightly as she spoke about Fury, and his sacrifice in the Control Room. He had died trying to send a signal to the Avengers in the field when Morgana himself had ended his life. She spoke of his unending dedication to duty, to protecting the human race.

She mentioned an Agent called Phillip Coulson. Jane had met him only briefly after she had been recruited to work for SHIELD, but he had seemed like a good man, if dour and too literal. He and Darcy together in a room had been hilarious. He had died when Morgana and Amora had infiltrated and destroyed SHIELD's prototype helicarrier.

Then there was Doctor Bruce Banner. Jane hadn't known him very long but he had seemed a kind, gentle soul. She was glad he was at peace and free of something he had never wanted in the first place.

When she mentioned Erik…the tears came and she couldn't stop them. Loki's arm was like a balm, a heated brand anchoring her to life, as she turned her face and buried it in his shoulder. She felt his lips against her hair.

They all stood in silence as the Guard of Honour gave the salute, the shots echoing in the air, as the American flag was lowered and the bugle played it's mournful tune.

After the service was over, she stood up with the others, slipping out to the grave markers, walking along until she found Erik's. Staring down at the anonymous white wood, she found it impossible to reconcile with the memory of the man buried beneath.

A sad smile on her lips, she pressed her fingers to them and then to the wood. "Thanks for everything, Erik," she murmured softly. Suddenly a familiar arm slipped around her waist, and Loki's hand appeared, proffering a rose. She could feel traces of magic clinging to its petals and stem.

"He would be proud of you, Jane," he whispered, as she took the rose and bent, placing it on the mound of still fresh earth reverently. "We may have had our differences, but I can be certain of that."

"I hope so," she replied quietly. Loki caught her chin, tilting it up as he kissed her softly.

"I know so," he murmured chidingly, before glancing down at Erik's grave. "His last thought was of you. He was a good man."

There wasn't anything else left to say after that, so Jane and Loki turned their backs on the rows of graves, and rejoined their friends by the plaque. While Tony engaged Loki on conversation, about ways of combining magic and technology, Maria and Natasha pulled Jane aside.

"I was hoping to catch you alone," the senior SHIELD agent, now Acting Director, explained with a tired smile. "You know how big a task we face, how much there is to do, getting the world back into some semblance of order. We have the support of the African and Australasian governments, of course."

"Of course," Jane replied, frowning slightly. Where was this going?

"Do you know how long Loki plans to stay on Earth?" Natasha asked softly, and Jane's frown cleared. Ah.

"I don't know," she replied truthfully. "He sort of left in a hurry, but he'll have to go back eventually. He's heir to the throne now."

Maria nodded to herself. "Well, in that case, I was hoping that you and he might consent to help the rebuilding project. Two magic-users could come in handy."

Jane could imagine. "He did mention finding some way to help," she mused. "I'll mention it to him, but for my part, yes of course I'll help in any way I can."

Maria smiled, a freer, more relaxed smile this time, and nodded. "Thank you, Jane," she breathed. "That's a relief to hear. Once Medical has cleared you, I'll contact you."

Maria and Natasha were called away moments later, and Jane watched them go with an absent stare. She jumped when Loki appeared behind her, hugging her back into him.

"What was that all about?" he asked, his words feathering her ear.

"They wanted to talk about the rebuilding effort and stuff," she replied. "I said I'd help if I could."

"No doubt they'll find some use for your talents," he quipped dryly, earning himself an elbow in the ribs.

"Watch it, Silvertongue," she muttered, the levity easing her sadness as he turned her away from the memorial and back towards the waiting plane.

* * *

An idyllic week passed. Jane had never been so happy.

Since she was now a low-risk patient, she was moved to one of the outer cabins at the medical facility, deeper in the forest, and more private. It was like they were living in an enchanted world, one where she was so happy and loved after all the suffering they had experienced.

Darcy came to visit often, sometimes alone, other times with Tony and Pepper, now completely cleared by Medical, and she was already busy helping where she could with SHIELD. She brought news of the outside world with her, and things seemed to be moving, gradually but still moving, in the right direction.

There was still a long way to go.

Jane couldn't let it deflate her happiness, however. Her life consisted of waking up beside Loki, eating, laughing, reading, walking in the forest which Loki admitted was as lovely as anything he had ever seen on Asgard. Then they would go to sleep in one another's arms…eventually.

It wasn't perfect. They both suffered from nightmares, Jane especially, although she had woken up plenty of times to find Loki shaking and pale as he relived Thor's death and the moment he discovered his Jotunn heritage over and over again, in his dreams.

Jane had finally got used to the sight of Loki in Midgardian clothes. It wasn't that they didn't look good, because damn it they did, but he looked…normal in them. Human.

Not like a Prince.

And she especially enjoyed getting him out of those clothes as well.

She shivered as she remembered one particularly enjoyable time, when they had been caught outside in the rain, and they had rushed back, soaking wet. Well, the aftermath of that run had been most enjoyable even if Loki's shirt had insisted on sticking to him stubbornly, resisting all attempts at removal until Jane had lost her temper and ripped it. Admittedly, it had clung very nicely, but she preferred having her lover's body under hands, skin to skin.

Looking back, she wondered why he hadn't just used magic.

His hand stirred in her hair, a low chuckle rumbling through his chest. "That would have defeated the fun of it all, sweetheart," he murmured above her. She was cushioned on his chest, his arms and legs wrapped around her in their bed. Outside, the rain fell, much like it had that day, the curtains drawn back so the entire room was bathed in the soft, shifting light of the wet afternoon.

Jane eyed him lethargically. "Are you sure you can't read my mind?" she asked pointedly. She had asked him that many times, and he had always said no.

Loki rolled his eyes, watching the woman in his arms as she stretched like a cat. When he stroked her neck, she almost purred like one too.

He would never be able to put into words exactly how much she had helped him in the past seven days. When he had left Asgard, he had been on the brink of some precipice, and there had been a dark abyss at his feet, aching to consume him. That abyss was still there, that precipice at his feet but Jane and bravely inserted herself between him and the abyss. He would forever, and gladly, be in her debt.

With every day spent with her, he felt like he was becoming himself again. And yet not so, because the old Loki, who was a Prince of Asgard and a Son of Odin, would never have kissed his lover in the rain against a tree, or laughed freely with mortals, or cradled his beloved to him at night when she awoke from nightmares. He was becoming something…more, and he was still waiting to find out exactly what.

But the shadows of the life he had left behind would not stay away for long.

Jane seemed to have similar thoughts, as she sighed and turned her head to meet his questioning look. "It's been a week," she murmured thoughtfully. "How much longer before they send someone after you, d'you think?"

'They' of course meant the All-Father. His name hadn't been spoken since that first morning before the memorial service.

Loki leant his head back, gazing at the ceiling, studying the cracks in the beams as he thought about his answer. He knew this could not last indefinitely. A whole world awaited them outside of their bubble of contentment, both his and hers, both broken and in need of repair.

"I cannot be sure," he finally said. "My absence will have been discovered by now, easily so. But the Bifrost is damaged, though not irreparably, so any pursuers will have to come by other means."

"Couldn't you abdicate your position, if you wanted?" she asked. He glanced down at her, and although her eyes were serious, she was merely curious, not suggesting he actually abdicate.

"I could," he admitted. "But to do so would throw Asgard into civil war. The All-Father has no other heirs, and the court would divide into factions, each with their own candidate."

Which was why Odin would not further reveal his heritage to anyone either. To have an unpopular, but capable, second born prince as heir was one thing, but to have a Jotunn, an enemy of Asgard as heir? Political suicide.

"Politics," Jane huffed, lowering her head back onto Loki's chest. "This is more Darcy's field."

At Loki's puzzled gaze, she explained, "Darcy's major in university was political science. She'd get a kick out of all this, just before she'd give you an hour-long lecture on the benefits of democracy versus autocracy. Trust me, I've heard it."

"I should introduce her to the All-Father some time," he chuckled shifting slightly in their bed, Jane moving to compensate. Jane giggled.

"But who would win?" she asked, teasingly. They both looked at each other, before as one pronouncing "Darcy."

They settled back into their languid embrace, Jane's fingers drawing random pattern's on Loki's bicep.

"I know it's selfish to want this to never end," she murmured. "but I really don't want it to."

"I know, love," he breathed huskily. "I have often wondered what Valhalla is like. Now, I know."

"Do mine ears deceive me or was that your way of being mushy?" Jane teased, raising her head and moving up in his arms so her long caramel coloured hair brushed his cheek. Loki rolled his eyes.

"I am not mushy," he protested curtly. "You mortals and your odd sayings."

"Mmm-hmm," Jane smiled, teasingly, before lowering her lips back to his, nipping at his bottom lip, drawing back when he tried to kiss her deeper. She raised one brow in imitation of his arrogant best, when his eyes flamed at her taunting. "Ready for round two?"

"Two? I rather thought this was round thirty by now," he murmured huskily, reaching up and hushing her laughter with his mouth, before Jane suddenly found herself twisted beneath him, one hand buried in his hair.

Suddenly, they stilled as a knock came at the door of the cabin. Jane sighed as Loki dropped his head into the pillow beside her, breathing through gritted teeth.

"Who could it be?" Jane muttered. "Darcy's not coming until Tuesday, and Tony's in New York."

Another knock came, more insistent this time. "Whoever it is, they are not going to go away," Loki breathed, pulling himself away from Jane, clothes appearing on his body, dark jeans and a loose blue shirt, that nevertheless clung to his muscled body.

Jane tried to ignore the watering in her mouth. Loki glanced to her, saw her glazed look, and smiled wickedly. Without warning, he bent to her, kissing her heatedly, making her moan and stretch up into his arms as he pulled her to her feet, his hands hungrily gliding down her body.

"Come along, dear, we've got guests," he hissed mischievously, as Jane realised he had dressed her without her knowing while they kissed.

"I'm going to get you back for this," she hissed back, straightening her blouse and grabbing a spare hair band from the side. "Couldn't you at least have done something about my hair?"

The long waves were rumpled and very obviously hand-ruffled. Loki believed Jane called it 'bed-head'. She looked utterly ravishing and adorable in his opinion, and very much _**his**_.

"Why would I?" he asked arrogantly. "You look lovely as you are."

"I am not going downstairs looking like I've just tumbled out of bed," she muttered, pulling the unruly strands back into a messy ponytail.

"But you have just tumbled out of bed," Loki pointed out, watching her amusedly.

"That is beside the point," she snapped lightly, already turning away and leading him out of the room.

They were still bickering jokingly when Jane paused in the kitchenette to put the kettle on, and Loki went for the door.

He froze when he opened it.

Outside, Fandral stood, clothed in a dark Midgardian suit, holding up an umbrella against the rain. And beneath the umbrella, in a sensible woollen winter coat, cream gloves that matched what Loki could see of the suit beneath, her flaxen hair pulled back in a demure bun, blue eyes holding him tenderly, was his mother, Frigg.

"Loki, who is it?" Jane's voice called from the kitchenette, and then he felt her come to his side, where she stopped and froze too.

"Lady Jane, it is a pleasure to see you again," Fandral murmured cordially. Jane nodded, stunned, as her gaze went to the blonde woman whose gaze seemed riveted on Loki.

"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" she asked, and her voice was soft and warm, every syllable loving. "It is rather wet out here."

Loki stepped back without a word, his hand suddenly like a vice around Jane's waist, and the pair stepped indoors, the woman's eyes now gazing curiously at Jane.

Loki took a deep breath. "Jane, this is Queen Frigg, of Asgard," he murmured, quietly, the silence tense, taut like one of Clint's bowstrings, as Fandral looked down uncertainly and Jane turned surprised eyes to Loki. Loki's face hardened, as she hadn't seen it since he first came back to Earth, with his next words.

"My mother."


	26. The Burden Of Responsibility

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Minor sexual content.

Chapter Playlist: 'Farewell' from 'Disney's Pocahontas'.

* * *

'_It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.'_

_**- Anonymous**_

* * *

It had to be the most awkward moment Jane had ever known. So this beautiful, flaxen haired woman was Loki's mother?

She tried to remain indignant for Loki's sake, but as she watched the way Frigg gazed at her son, there was so much love and tenderness and anguish, that she was finding it hard to stay angry. She couldn't remember her mother well enough to know if she had ever looked at her like that.

"And this must be the Lady Jane I have heard so much about," Frigg's smile deepened, as she looked to her.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she remembered her manners. Lying excuse for a mother aside, she was still a Queen. "Jane Foster."

"It is a pleasure to meet the lady who has so entranced my son," Frigg was certainly laying on the charm, but Jane got the impression that it was perfectly sincere. Damn it, Jane, stay mad, stay mad.

She glanced up at Loki, his face hard and his eyes cold. "Now I know where you get it from," she hissed at him, and he glanced down at her in surprise. His eyes softened, and a ghost of a smile lingered at his lips.

She turned her eyes away, to see Frigg watching them intently, a slight smile on her lovely face.

"Might I speak with my son?" she asked, gently. "Alone."

Jane looked to Loki, who stiffened but nodded, and she smiled at Fandral.

"Hey, you ever had a cup of tea, Fandral?" she asked, leading the warrior into the kitchenette. "I'm pretty sure Loki would live off it if he could."

Lightly bantering with the golden-haired warrior, she led him away, and Loki led his mother out to the covered porch, where a wicker bench stood, the rain still pouring steadily outside its shelter.

* * *

"She is a rare one, your Jane," she murmured behind him. "Fierce in your defence."

"She did not say anything," he replied.

"She did not have to," Frigg explained. Loki knew what she meant; when Jane was angered, her eyes flamed like ambers shot through with fire. He faced her for one moment, coldly, his eyes like two jade shields.

"Why are you here?" he asked. Frigg sighed and looked away.

"Such mistrust," she murmured. "But perhaps I have earned it."

Inwardly surprised, he said nothing as she moved towards the wicker bench. Watching her, the woman he had loved as his mother for so long, her eyes slightly reddened, he knew, from weeping, he felt his resolve shift. He turned away.

Frigg sat down, but Loki remained standing, his arms crossed over his chest, his back to her as he looked out at the rain. It was the only thing he could do now Jane had left to steady himself.

"It is good to see you, Loki," she murmured softly. "You look well."

The walls around his heart trembled, but Loki would not yield. "That is Jane's care," he replied coolly. "I take it the All-Father sent you here?"

"I came of my own accord," was the soft answer. Loki was surprised; Frigg rarely did anything against the will of the All-Father. "I was concerned for you."

"Concerned?" Loki repeated, turning to face her, his fists clenching. "I wonder why that might be?"

Frigg sighed, looking down at her hands, her breath trembling. "I know you have discovered the truth. I am so sorry Loki," she began, before she had to pause, and he waited for her to continue. "I am so sorry, my son."

He was surprised when she launched herself into his arms, holding him close even as he stood cold and unresponsive in her embrace.

"I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning," she breathed against his chest. "Knowing, and watching you grow, troubled as you sometimes were by things you could not explain, was the hardest thing I have ever had to endure. There should be no secrets in a family. My son, please forgive me."

Loki steeled himself, gently prising his mother's hands from him. "Do you still call me son now?" he asked, as he let the illusion fade once more, and his skin turned blue, and his eyes blood red. He waited for her revulsion, her pity, her fear, and steeled his heart against more anguish.

But she did not. Frigg gently reached out and placed her hand on his cheek, smiling through her tears. "You are my son, no matter what skin you wear. You have been since the first moment I held you in my arms," she whispered.

He felt his walls crack, and he weakened enough to hold her hand to his cheek for one moment, before he allowed the Jotunn to fade and the Aesir to return to his features.

"So why did he lie?" he asked quietly. Frigg did not need to ask who he meant.

"He kept the truth from you so you would never feel different," she told him gently, echoing Jane's own assertions. "You are our son, Loki, and we your family. You must know that…"

"All I know is that I was lied to, and coddled for centuries, and fed a dream that I was equal to Thor in the All-Father's eyes," he replied coolly. "I never was."

"That is not true," Frigg retorted fiercely. "You were always Thor's equal, he acknowledged it many times. Your father loves you, Loki, as I do. We want you to come home."

"Ahh, so that is it. The All-Father wants his pet back-" he began bitterly, chuckling darkly, but Frigg thumped him on the shoulder first. Stunned, he watched her wide-eyed, as his usually demure and serene mother stood before him with flames in her eyes.

"I do not wish to hear such poisonous words from your mouth again, Loki Odinson!" she snapped. "They are as untrue as they are bitter. We want you home because you are our son, and Asgard is your home, and it needs you. You are the heir to the throne now-"

Her voice broke when she said heir, and he forced himself to remember that she had lost her trueborn son only days before. He forced his temper into abeyance, as she stepped close.

"I love you my son. I have lost one child, do not make me lose another," she pleaded softly, tears welling in her azure eyes. He felt his strength wane, and suddenly he was simply too tired to maintain his resentment any longer.

"Things cannot be as they were," he murmured quietly, as hope lit in Frigg's eyes. "But I do love you…mother."

Wordlessly, she reached out to him again, and he went into her embrace willingly, her lips pressed against his forehead.

* * *

Jane and Fandral tried not to crane their necks out the kitchen window, they really did. But curiosity was a trait they shared it seemed, after the kettle had boiled, and the temptation became too much. They looked out just as Frigg hit her son.

Fandral winced sympathetically.

When they saw Loki and Frigg willingly embrace, both breathed a sigh of relief.

"I am glad of it, Lady Jane," he murmured, sitting back down at the scrubbed wooden kitchen table, a mug cradled in his hands. "Asgard is sorely in need of her Prince now."

"I am just glad he could forgive his mother," Jane looked into her mug. "He's lucky he has parents who love him."

"Aye," the golden-haired warrior smiled slightly. "Have you spoken with Darcy recently?"

"Just a few days ago," she replied with a sly smile. "She misses you."

"Well, I might visit her while I am here," he muttered. "Is she near?"

"I could ask her to come pick you up?" Jane offered, already reaching for the phone. She had to hold the phone away from her ear a couple of times when she told Darcy Fandral was there, but the chattering soon died away and she told her she would be there in a few minutes. "She's coming," she told him warningly, with a smile. "Hope you're ready."

Fandral did not know whether to gulp or to smile.

Just then Frigg and Loki came back into the cabin, both more relaxed than they had left it. Jane smiled, happy that Loki was at least on the road to reconciliation with his mother. He needed her, now more than ever.

"Will you be staying with us, Your Majesty?" she asked, as Frigg sat down at the kitchen table, and Loki passed her a mug of tea.

"If it does not inconvenience you, my dear," the Queen murmured kindly. "And please call me Frigg, my dear Jane."

"Not at all…Frigg," Jane replied stiltedly. Now this was most definitely awkward. At least there was a guest room, if a bit small.

Loki watched the interaction between his mother and his lover with a slight smirk, as Jane eyed him narrowly. Frigg followed her gaze and lightly thumped his leg.

"Stop smirking," she told him imperiously, surprising Jane and making her laugh. Frigg's eyes were twinkling when they turned back to Jane. "He thinks he is so good at hiding things, but that smirk always gives him away."

"Thanks for the warning."

Loki's smirk faded, as Fandral's eyes glinted amusedly. "You're outnumbered, my friend," he called lightly. "Good luck."

Suddenly there came a hooting noise outside, and all four went outside to see Darcy roll up in a borrowed SHIELD SUV. Her smile was wide enough to swallow a banana when she saw Fandral.

"I will return by tomorrow morning, my Queen," he bowed to Frigg, before he, Loki and Jane went to the car, Frigg staying by the door to watch them with a soft, sad smile on her lips.

Darcy's eyes curiously went to Frigg, then to Jane questioningly. "Loki's mom," she muttered in explanation, as her friend's eyes went wide.

"Seriously? Talk about MILF," Darcy muttered. "Well, not me personally. Anyway good luck to you. Meeting the in-laws, eugh!"

Darcy mock-shuddered, and Jane shook her head at her friend's silliness.

While Jane and Darcy talked, Fandral paused by his friend's side. Loki watched him carefully for signs that he knew of Loki's true birth, but he gave none. Frigg had told him they had decided to keep the revelation strictly between him, the All-Father and her, but Fandral wasn't stupid. Well, at least, not all the time.

"Do you know why I came here? Why mother came here?" he asked him lightly. The rain had stopped thankfully, and they stood under a damp canopy of trees. Fandral stepped forward, his eyes meeting Loki's, and he indeed glimpsed some hint of suspicion in there, before it dissolved into brotherly warmth.

"I do not know and I need not know," the warrior replied steadily. "You are my friend, my Prince, and soon to be my King. That is all that is needed."

Loki clasped his wrist in the traditional warrior's goodbye, and Fandral did the same, gratitude rising in Loki's still healing heart. But with every word, every gesture, every encounter, from Jane, from his mother, from Fandral; it was healing.

But soon he would need to return to Asgard. He had responsibilities there, despite all he had discovered, and soon he would have to make a choice between two paths. He could reject it, and those that needed him to stay on Earth, or accept it and build a new world, a new path, a new future for himself as King.

His gaze fell on Jane, and he frowned.

* * *

After Darcy and Fandral had left, Jane made pasta for all three of them. While she was chopping up salad in the kitchen while the pasta simmered in water, she turned to find Frigg beside her, a gentle smile on her face.

"May I help?"

Jane would later describe it as one of the most surreal experiences of her life. Chopping up onions and lettuce with a Goddess of Legend.

"You are good for my son," she suddenly said, after they had been chopping quietly for a few minutes. Loki was somewhere in the cabin, but Jane wasn't sure where. She glanced swiftly at her companion. Frigg smiled. "I do not have quite the power of Heimdall, but I may watch those I care for. I have seen from afar how he smiles and laughs with you. You are good for him."

"No offence, Frigg," she murmured, turning to the older woman firmly. "But as nice as it is to offer your blessing, I don't need your approval to love your son."

"Well said," Frigg replied, with a slight smile. "I do not blame you for your hostility, Jane. I know the wrong I have done my son, and I am sorry for it. I thank you with all my heart for the solace you gave him, and I hope we may have more felicitous relations in future. I don't doubt I will soon call you daughter."

Jane looked down. "We'll see," she mumbled, watching her hand as it held the knife, slicing through the thin white skin of the onions.

"You do not wish to marry my son?" Frigg asked gently. Jane looked up, startled.

"No, I do!" she blurted out. "It's just…ever since Loki awakened my magic, I've seen how much easier everything could be if I used it to help. I suck at fighting with it, but I can heal, and there are others thing I can help with. Things are so messed up right now, that I just…feel…-"

"You feel you have responsibilities here, on Earth," Frigg finished for her, understandingly.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to be with Loki. I love him so much that it frightens me sometimes," Jane explained hurriedly, tipping the onions into the pan, starting on the sauce. "But I can't leave, not yet."

Suddenly she heard the sound of a door slamming, and she jumped. Her face paled, as she spun around and realised Loki must have been listening at the door. How much had he heard?

"No," she breathed. What if he thought she was refusing him indefinitely? Not that he actually asked, more like _**told**_ her they would marry, but…

All her work building him up again might be undone. She started forward, but Frigg gently held her back.

"No, allow me," she said soothingly. "I will disavow my son of whatever silly notion he has got into his head. Do not fear."

Jane watched Frigg go, wondering if she had just messed things up for good, when they had been going so well.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she hissed to herself, under her breath, fisting her hands and pressing them to her eyes to stop the tears from falling. She summoned her magic, something she hadn't done for awhile, and she cautiously felt around for Loki. He was outside, with Frigg.

She could only hope he listened.

* * *

Loki stared out at the forest, now a shifting mass of blacks and silvery greens, and forced air into the band around his lungs. He felt like he couldn't breathe, like his heart was about to burst again when it had so nearly become whole once more.

She wanted to stay on Earth. She didn't want to be with him, she didn't….

He sat down heavily on the bench, and hid his head in his hands. He inhaled deeply of the scents of pines and evergreens, and forced himself to think.

To recall exactly what Jane had said in conversation with his mother. It hadn't been planned, nor conscious.

"She did not say never, Loki," his mother's soft voice penetrated the turmoil inside him, as soft hands slid over his own. He opened his eyes, to meet hers, and looked down. Frigg smiled ruefully and shook her head. "You have always reacted with haste when matters touch your heart most deeply. Your brother's influence, I think."

His lips quirked. "Thor never did think things through before acting," he murmured. Frigg nodded.

"And now you must do so too. She did not say never, my son, just not yet," she told him soothingly. "You were raised a Prince of Asgard. Even if you were not to ascend the throne, you would have played a part in the running of the kingdom. A significant part. You already advised your brother in matters of State before you left for Midgard. You know the burden that your position and power has brought you: responsibility."

"Jane may not be royalty, but now she has power, she feels that burden towards her home, as you do towards Asgard. It is that concern which will make her a truly great Queen," Frigg continued. "She loves you Loki, fiercely, completely and it warms my heart to see it so. But you ask much; to ask her to become your Princess is burden enough. To ask her to become your Queen is great, even for one as extraordinary as her."

"I know," Loki sighed. "I overreacted somewhat. Forgive me."

"It is understandable," she smiled. "And in truth this may well work to our advantage. You know that, as the future King, there will be some resistance in the court to the idea of a Midgardian Queen."

Loki felt anger rise at that, but he forced himself to calm. He knew it, but the idea had floated to the back of his mind with all that had happened. The resentment would have been bad enough as his Princess. If Jane were to become his Queen, it could spill over into hatred.

"There have already been stirrings from various factions at court. Vanaheim and Nornheim have expressed interests in an alliance with Asgard through marriage. You know the candidates…"

Loki shuddered. He did all too well. The Ladies Sigyn and Angrboda, and possibly even Queen Karnilla. All powerful women with powerful families.

"A wedding could not be held within a year because of Thor's death, and the Bifrost, among others things, requires repair. You and Jane are rather alike in that regard," Frigg smiled wryly. "Use that time, Loki. Declare your betrothal, and make sure that Asgard is acquainted with the goodness, wisdom and courage of your chosen Bride before she comes, so the resentment will be restrained to a few discontent courtiers."

Loki had to admit that his mother was right. He hadn't been thinking, like his brother frustratingly enough, and he had forgotten. He needed to make sure that Asgard loved Jane as much as he before asking her to forsake her life on Earth.

"Now go inside and apologise to your future wife," Frigg told him firmly. "You gave her rather a scare. Also actually asking her might not go amiss…"

Loki stared at her, and she shook her head ruefully, golden curls bouncing. "Men. You're just like your father," she muttered airily.

Loki chuckled, and pressed a kiss to his mother's cheek before venturing back inside. Jane was sat at the kitchen table, head in hands, and he cursed himself for his lack of patience. No doubt she thought she had wounded him, and she had at first, until Frigg's calming words had penetrated his inner turmoil. He was still so guarded, and since Jane was within those guards, she could do perhaps the most damage of all.

"Jane," he breathed her name, and she looked up hopefully. Her eyes searched his face, before she shot into his arms.

"God, Loki, I'm sorry!" she cried against his chest. "I didn't mean-I don't-"

"Hush, my love," he whispered in her ear, holding her to him tightly, his cheek cushioned on her hair. "I know. We will talk later."

He raised her head, smiling slightly to let her know it was alright, and then bent his head and kissed her softly. She returned it with a sweet passion that always allured and enticed him, and he almost forgot that his mother was not far away. An acrid smell reached his nose, and he frowned as he drew back.

"Is that something burning?" he asked. Jane's eyes widened as she whipped around and rushed to the stove frantically. Loki fought to hide his laughter at the sight, his world momentarily right again.

* * *

That night, after making sure his mother was settled in the spare room, Loki took a deep breath before entering the room that had become so very much theirs. He needed to talk to her frankly.

When he entered, Jane was already in bed, her hair down around her shoulders in a soft, shining halo in the dim lamplight. He mentally ground his teeth at the sight of her beloved sweats above the sheet. He was determined to burn them at the first chance he got.

He stripped away his shirt, Jane's eyes widening in anticipation, as they always did, before he stalked towards her. He sat on the bed, on her side, taking her hand. He caught her gaze, puzzled now and wary, before pressing a kiss to her hand, as he done once, so long ago it felt, in the deserts of New Mexico when they first met.

"Jane Foster, I love you. Marry me?" he asked. Jane looked down, but he was prepared for that. "I am not asking you to leave. I am asking if you will marry me."

Jane's head shot up, and relief and joy so radiant that her eyes blazed with it, and she smiled. "Yes. Yes I will," she breathed. Loki smiled, leaning in and kissing her heatedly. Jane's hands settled on his shoulders, pulling him closer, but he forced himself away before he lost control.

"Wait, sweetheart," he whispered. "There are still things we must discuss. Tomorrow, I have to return to Asgard."

Jane's eyes widened, but she just nodded.

"As you said, little has changed in reality. I am still a Prince of Asgard, and soon, a King. The Realm is fractured, broken, and I must help my…father to fix it. What is more, travel between Realms will not be safe until the Bifrost is repaired."

"I understand," Jane murmured, her heart aching at the thought of being away from him for so long, but she understood the reasoning. He had responsibilities too. "How long?"

"We cannot marry until the mourning period for Thor is ended," he told her gravely. "A year at most."

Jane nodded. A year would allow her to do some good, even if it meant such a long separation. She met his gaze, his beloved eyes gleaming like polished jade in the dim light, and she stroked his cheek. "You do understand why I cannot just up and leave with you? Being with you, loving you, having the promise of forever with you is like a fairytale. I can't just leave here to some happy ever after with you, while Earth is still in such a state. I can help."

This Cinderella still had some cleaning up to do before she let her Prince sweep her away.

"I know, Jane," Loki smiled sadly. "I could not have expected otherwise. I overreacted tonight, and I apologise for it. The thought of being away from you…"

"We'll manage," Jane murmured reassuringly. "If we can't do this, then we might not work at all."

Loki inclined his head. "I will miss you."

Jane's eyes flashed, and then she lunged forward, into his arms, pressing her lips to his. His arms closed around her like a trap, straining her to him, but Jane had no desire to be set free.

A year apart. Well, if she hadn't been determined before, she was twice as much now, to make up for the time they would spend apart.

* * *

The next morning, Jane awoke to find Loki already up, sliding on the leather coat he wore over his tunics. Sighing, wishing they had more time, she rose too, draping a sheet around herself and hugging him from behind. His hands held hers against his chest, and he sighed before turning in her embrace. Absentmindedly, Jane readjusted a long belt that draped one shoulder.

Their lips met and clung, as Jane's heart thundered in her ears. It felt odd seeing him back in his armour, and it suddenly felt so very real. He was leaving, she was staying behind, they wouldn't see each other for months…

Jane clenched her jaw against the urge to tell him she was coming. No, she had to do this. Her last service to her planet, then she could leave with a clear conscience.

She had to do this.

The sound of the SUV pulling up outside forced them apart, and Jane dressed in silence.

Frigg awaited them outside, as Fandral hopped from the passenger door, and Darcy got out, suspiciously teary-eyed. Loki surmised that something was amiss.

As the three women talked quietly for a moment, Loki drew Fandral aside.

"I asked her to marry me!" the golden-haired warrior muttered. "She said she couldn't leave, especially not if Jane was staying behind to help. Why do women have to be so damned stubborn?"

"I understand, my friend," Loki sighed, his gaze travelling to his betrothed. Fandral frowned.

"Then Jane is staying? Has she rejected your suit?" he asked quietly.

"No, she has accepted. But she feels she cannot leave either, while Earth is still in such turmoil," Loki explained. "And in truth, the year it will take to repair the Bifrost and the Realm might be useful in accustoming the Realm to their future, Midgardian, Queen."

Understanding gleamed in Fandral's eyes, and he nodded, clapping Loki on the shoulder in commiseration. "Then we are in the same boat, as Darcy would say."

"We will return," Loki replied, firmly, as if making a vow. Fandral's eyes rested on his lover, and he nodded.

"Aye, we will."

"Loki," Frigg called. "It is time."

Taking a deep breath, he stepped away from Fandral and towards Jane, who came into his arms and held him tightly. He felt tears against his neck, and forced back his own.

He would be strong for the both of them.

"Thank you, Jane, for everything you have done for me this past week. Because of you, I return to Asgard stronger," he told her in a heated whisper. Jane raised her head, her eyes shining with tears and a burning love that touched Loki's heart.

"A King," she said insistently. "I love you."

"As I love you, my sweetheart, my little mortal. Always will," he told her, kissing her tenderly. Unlike their passion last night, that had been frantic and urgent, fuelled by desperation, this was slow and thorough, Loki relishing the taste of his betrothed's lips for the last time.

But not forever. He reminded himself of that.

Reluctantly he stepped back, offering his arm to his mother. Darcy came to Jane's side, clasping her hand, and Loki was grateful for her companionship. She eyed Fandral, then raised her hand in a cheery salute.

"I'll see you two soon," she told them pointedly. Jane just smiled, as Fandral stepped close to Loki, taking hold of his bracer. Taking a deep breath, Loki called on the power of the tesseract, lain dormant for weeks, and allowed it to pull him back to Asgard.

As the world faded around them, he focussed on Jane's beloved hazel eyes, and smiled. He would return for her, they would rebuild their Realms, and then they would have eternity.

He would never let her go again.

A promise, although silent, that nevertheless shone in Jane's eyes and burned in Loki's mind.

He would return.

* * *

**A/N: I know Angrboda was in fact a Jotunn, but considering that Jotunheim has just played a major part in invading Earth and Asgard, I doubt they would be sending possible bridal candidates to Asgard for alliance. So I'm claiming artistic licence and pretending she's from Vanaheim.**


	27. A Year Passes

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: None.

Chapter Playlist: 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' from 'Phantom of the Opera', and 'Can You See Jane?' from 'Thor'.

* * *

'_You were once my one companion, _

_you were all that mattered._

_You were once a friend and father, _

_now my world is shattered.'_

'_Wishing you were somehow here again, _

_Knowing we must say goodbye._

_Try to forgive, _

_Teach me to live,_

_Give me the strength to try.'_

'_No more memories,_

_No more silent tears._

_No more gazing across the wasted years._

_Help me say goodbye._

_Help me say goodbye.'_

_**- Excerpts from Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, Andrew Lloyd Webber**_

* * *

It had been nearly a year since Jane had said goodbye to Loki in the woods outside the cabin. Immediately after Loki, Frigg and Fandral had faded from sight; she had phoned Maria and offered her services. A day later, Medical had cleared her, and she had left behind the cabin with regret but also determination to make the most of the year she had before she left Earth for what would probably be a very long time.

It was not easy. There was so much damage, and so many people in need of help. The psychological damage done to the people alone was nightmarish. Most nights Jane staggered to bed in whatever bunker SHIELD put her up in, as she travelled where she was needed, and slept like the dead only to rise and repeat the whole nightmare over again.

And now it was almost over. In three days time, Loki would come back and take her away.

She had thought about him almost every day since he left, hoping he was alright, that he was still healing, that Odin wasn't being too much of a…well, Jane didn't want to be rude about her future father-in-law.

Father-in-law. Wedding. Marriage.

Jane still could not get her head around it, and in truth she felt afraid. She was terrified.

She wasn't just marrying the man she loved. It was the thought of everything else that came with it that frightened her. Loki would make her his Queen.

It was not that she had stopped loving during their separation. Hell, no. She loved him more than ever and she was desperate to see him again.

It was just…a _**Queen**_.

During the year, Jane had worked closely with SHIELD and Tony in rebuilding the world. They worked out ways of combining magic with technology, so buildings became stronger, more durable, impervious to flooding. There could be an earthquake and not so much as a crack would form in the walls.

And that was not the only way she learned to help. Jane's healing abilities came on in leaps and bounds, her powers expanding exponentially. She went around, like some magical doctor, healing wounds and easing the damage left by Amora and Morgana's reign of terror.

There were many and Jane never felt like she did enough. Even when she was on the brink of collapse, it usually took Darcy handcuffing her to the bed and slipping sleeping pills into her water to make her slow down.

There was trouble, but that was expected. The Brotherhood of Mutants attempted a coup but the combined efforts of the Avengers and the X-Men put them down. There were other, less super-powered attempted coups, but Jane willingly left those to the politicians and SHIELD to deal with.

It never seemed like enough. No matter what she did, who she helped, there were still more.

And Jane began to wonder if a year had really been long enough. Things were better, but there was still so much to do.

She had just got back from a long trip to China, back to Washington DC where the Avengers were based while New York was being rebuilt. It seemed the whole Earth was great big building site.

As she was driven from the airstrip, through the still battered city, her eyes lingered on the refugee camps spread across the landscape, and felt her eyes mist over. She was tired, bone tired, and she missed Loki with a passion.

She didn't know what to do.

Darcy eyed her friend and former boss warily. She'd noticed Jane had been quiet for days, even more than usual. Watching the way she studied the refugees, the look on her face when she had finished helping them for the night…it wasn't good.

At least in regards to the whole Loki situation.

"Driver," Jane suddenly called out. "Could you drop me off at Arlington National Cemetery before you go to HQ?"

The driver nodded; Darcy didn't say a word. She knew why she was going there.

Darcy had visited Erik's grave a few times, but Pepper had been keeping her busy in the Logistic department, not to mention actually putting her degree to good use in helping to set up democratic elections for the new year.

She knew what weighed on Jane's conscience. The death toll had been approximately two billion, in the course of a year, from disease, the war, and malnourishment as countries struggled to feed their displaced populations. Things were better now, but it was going to take years before they could even contemplate any form of normality.

"D'you want me to come with?" Darcy asked, as the driver stopped outside the memorial. Jane shook her head with a wan smile, and Darcy watched her go.

With a sigh, she dug out her emergency cell, and dialled Tony's number. It was intervention time.

* * *

The wooden grave markers had long been replaced by marble. The cold, icy whiteness seemed even less suited to the man Jane remembered, as she quickly walked to his grave.

He had haunted her dreams when Loki had not. She remembered their last words had mostly been angry ones, about Loki, about their relationship. She wished they hadn't been, she wished she could have been there when he died.

She sank down onto her knees on the green grass, staring at the anonymous white stone.

"I don't know what to do, Erik," she murmured. "I love him so much, but can I abandon Earth? Can I just stop helping people?"

She looked down. What was she supposed to do? Ask Loki for more time? Refuse him altogether? Leave with him?

She wasn't ready for this. Any of it.

"Chin up there, kiddo," a familiar voice muttered, and Jane jumped, turning her head to find not just Tony Stark standing behind her, but Clint, Nat, Steve and Darcy. She eyed her friend glaringly.

"Traitor," she snapped. Darcy just grinned unrepentantly.

"Had to be done," she replied flippantly.

"Darcy's right for once, Janie," Tony murmured. "You've been getting edgy for weeks, we've all noticed it. You're working twice as hard, if that were possible, and you look like death."

"Thanks for the assessment," Jane muttered mulishly, looking away. Tony grasped her shoulder once more.

"Jane, Erik would want you to be happy," he told her firmly. "You've done enough, as much as anyone here, if not more. But it's time to stop."

"But can I, Tony?" she asked. "Could anyone with a conscience?"

"Jeez, Jane, it's not like you're going away and never coming back," Darcy put in. "You can still help, and hell, you'll be the Queen of Asgard. You can do anything you want to."

Jane looked down, as the grass rustled and Steve stepped into her line of sight. He reached out, stroked her cheek, and Jane had to admit that Loki had been right about his feelings for her.

She was sorry she couldn't return them, but she loved Loki. Steve would find someone, someday. Someone truly deserving of his kindness and sweetness.

"Tony's right, Jane," he murmured softly. "Enough's enough. It's time to let go and be happy. You more than deserve it, even if I still think he still doesn't deserve you. You've never wavered in your love for him, have you?"

Jane shook her head.

"Then it's settled. Don't throw away a chance with someone you love, Jane. You never know when it might be taken from you permanently," he continued, his eyes growing distant. Jane knew he was thinking of Peggy Carter.

"Besides, _**we're**_ not going anywhere," Clint interjected. "Earth's Mightiest Heroes and all."

"We've got it covered," Natasha stepped close, pulling Jane up and hugging her. Jane was a little shocked; the dour Russian agent rarely touched anyone except Clint. "Be happy, and if you're not, just call me and I really will let you set me on Loki this time."

Jane laughed, her eyes filling with tears.

"Hey don't be going soft on me, Foster," Tony muttered jokingly. "Don't fancy having to explain to your man why you're so teary all the time. He might turn me into a rat or something."

"Or a kitten," Darcy offered innocently. "I think you'd make a cute kitten. Tony Stark the kitten."

Tony momentarily looked disgusted. "A kitten?" he asked incredulously. "I'm at least a panther!"

"Hah, in your dreams, Stark," Natasha snorted, as the group moved away from the memorial. Jane looked back for one moment, at Erik's grave, and then took a deep breath.

They were right. It was time to let go.

* * *

_Asgard_

The stars shone brightly in the velvet sky. The Asbru Bridge gleamed, its crystalline surface echoing softly with the footsteps of the man who walked its length.

An emerald green cloak spread behind him, his body clad in gold and silver armour, a horned helmet reflecting the light of the stars above the Realm Eternal. The reconstructed Observatory glowed effervescently before him.

It was almost ready. Tomorrow, it would be complete. After a year of trials and work, of hardship and longing, he was almost ready to return to Earth and claim his bride.

Everything was in place. There were no more obstacles left.

At last.

The gatekeeper waited him, golden eyes watching him with a hint of amusement in those implacable depths. He knew his mission.

It had been the same every day since the Prince had returned to Asgard. At every moonrise, he would go to the gatekeeper and ask him to find Jane, to see if she was safe and well. Some times his answers comforted him, other times they made him smile and shake his head ruefully.

Other times they made him concerned and the longing in his heart for her grew with each day. He needed her like never before, even as he knew he could exist without her. But it was exactly that: an existence, not living, not truly.

He was so proud of her. She had done so much, helped so many, sometimes at the cost of her own health. He would severely reprimand her for that, but not before kissing her senseless first.

It had not been easy. The people still mourned the loss of Thor, and it had taken Loki both time and effort to show them he was a worthy successor. His mother's words about alliances and suitors had come true, with Queen Karnilla offering her hand.

That had taken considerable use of his vaunted Silvertongue to wriggle out of.

As for the ladies from Vanaheim…they flitted around him like overly perfumed shadows, smiling and tittering coyly. They held not a candle to his Jane.

It had even been suggested, although only briefly, that he wed Sif! As if he ever would…

His relationship with the warrior goddess had always been rocky at best, ever since they were children. It had grown into respect as they became comrades-in-arms, then deepened into a sort of exasperated affection when she married Thor and became Queen. He would rather be alone than marry her.

And thankfully, Sif had made it clear she felt the same way. So it had been dropped, much to Loki's relief. His supporters and friends had been busy in spreading stories of Jane's deeds and beauty to any who would hear, and the common citizenry had accepted his choice. The court…well, they would just have to deal with it.

Speaking of dealing, his relationship with the All-Father remained civil, if distant. He had forgiven his mother, but his father…that was a whole other matter. The pain of that betrayal, and of losing Thor, would always be a part of him, but Jane had ensured it did not rule him. Loki was his own man, and he knew who he was.

As he neared the gatekeeper, he forced all that from his mind. The wait was nearly over. Soon, he would hold Jane in his arms again.

"My Prince," Heimdall inclined his head to him, as he paused before the gatekeeper, the staff of the tesseract in his hand. That too had been another key to his acceptance; he was simply too powerful to be deposed. No other candidate for the throne could match him now.

"Heimdall," he inclined his head, before stepping close to the edge of the Bridge, looking down into the Universe below. "Can you see her?"

"Yes," Heimdall murmured.

"How is she?" he asked quietly. Was she excited? Worried? Did she look forward to seeing him again?

"She sleeps, my Prince. But even in her sleep, she waits for you," the gatekeeper told him gravely. Loki smiled, and closed his eyes.

_**Jane…**_

* * *

_SHIELD HQ, Washington DC, USA, Earth._

_**Jane…**_

She heard the whisper, and shot upright in her bed, her chest heaving. Warmth suffused her, and as the shock faded, she smiled.

He was coming for her. And he had told her when and where. He was coming.

* * *

**A/N: To be honest after everything I've put these two through, it would be torture to put them through anymore. And no, Loki is not married to Sigyn in this AU, and no there will not be a pregnancy, for reasons that will be revealed in the next chapter.**


	28. A Reunion Of Souls

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: Some minor sexual content

Chapter Playlist: 'Marriage Proposal' from 'The Young Victoria' and 'Evenstar' from 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' and 'Earth To Asgard' from 'Thor'.

* * *

'_The art of love is largely the art of persistence.'_

_**- Albert Ellis**_

* * *

Two days after Jane heard Loki's voice in her head, Jane, Darcy, the Avengers, SHIELD and a delegation of political leaders from countries all over the world gathered in Washington DC, just outside the city limits, in a wide, open field.

Jane tried not to fidget in her place in the reception committee. Her hair fell down her back in gentle waves, and Nat had pushed a white garment bag on her with a wink. It had contained an emerald green sheath dress and a white coat. They were the first new things she'd had since before the war, and she felt almost sinfully good in them. When she left, she would make sure to give them to someone who needed them, but for now, she was grateful for Nat's foresight. She stuck out among the crowd of black-suited politicians and agents perfectly, easily the brightest dressed person except for perhaps Tony, waiting in his Iron Man suit, and Steve in his blue suit.

Darcy was stood beside her, dressed in a pretty purple dress and black blazer, her hair tied back in a side ponytail. She had no qualms about fidgeting.

"Excited?" Darcy asked in a whisper.

"You could say that," Jane muttered. Would a year change Loki? After being back in Asgard, would he find her wanting? There had to be dozens of beautiful Goddesses and princesses vying for his hand.

She glanced away, pushing her thoughts down. They wouldn't do any good. She watched President Jameson glance to the sky, an impatient expression in his middle-aged face. He was sceptical that this wasn't all some big con, that SHIELD was mad.

There came a rumble of thunder, the clouds darkening and circling, as Jane recognised the signs of a Bifrost portal forming.

"Joy, a thunderstorm. That is all we need," the President muttered. He turned to Maria, stood beside him like a patient shadow. "If it rains, I'm returning to the White House."

Anticipation rose like alcohol in Jane's blood, and she almost felt giddy. Suddenly there came a great roar, and a beam of light, glistening with a thousand rainbow colours, shot from the eye of the storm and hit the ground.

The group shielded their eyes, but Jane kept hers open, searching the cloud of light for a familiar figure. It faded away, leaving a tangled, circular imprint in the ground.

And in that circle, surrounded by a group of thirty armed Aesir soldiers, a small phalanx of blue-robed civilians, with Fandral in golden armour beside him, was Loki.

Jane caught her breath.

His hair was shorter than when she had last seen it, just brushing the nape of his neck above the black tunic he wore, embroidered with green and gold, crisscrossed with intricate golden armour. A dark emerald cloak fell from his shoulders. The staff of the tesseract stood tall and golden in his hand, and Jane felt her power wash over her like a warm breeze. It had been like a shadow at the edge of her mind since Loki had left.

Emerald eyes found and met hers, and she felt paralysed. Not even the hilarious sight of the President with his jaw almost on the floor could make her move. Her lungs felt like they had forgotten how to breathe.

Darcy was just as still beside her, but she was smiling widely.

Maria was not as afflicted. She stepped forward with a smile. "Welcome back to Earth, Prince Loki."

* * *

Loki stepped forward, achingly graceful, and Jane took a breath. Darcy muffled a snort of laughter beside her.

"It is good to return, Director Hill," he returned cordially, but his eyes were once again seeking the crowd for Jane. He had caught a glimpse of her, before he stepped forward, but now he was impatient to have her back in his arms. He stretched out with his magic, and shuddered as it met her own, feeling her own magic ripple and shiver.

It had been too long.

Maria's smile deepened knowingly. "May I introduce President Martin Jameson of the United States of America?" she gestured to the staring, suited mortal beside her who looked at Loki like he was a ghost. "President Jameson? Prince Loki, of Asgard."

Jameson seemed to come back to himself, as his jaw closed and he stepped forward, proffering a hand and bowing slightly. "Prince Loki, it is a great honour and a privilege to finally meet you. Director Hill has told me all about your assistance during the war, and the work you did with our scientists."

"A pleasure, President Jameson," Loki replied diplomatically, but a sarcastic overtone slipped into his voice at the word 'pleasure'. He took the mortal's hand, and realised how much he was sweating. He couldn't help a slow, sly smile, enjoying the way the mortal squirmed. "I hope my visit will further ensure the harmonious relations between our Realms. I bring sorcerers and gifts to aid the rebuilding of Earth. Use them well."

"Thank you, Your Highness," the President murmured. "If you would like-"

Suddenly Darcy snapped. "Screw this!" she muttered, and before Jane could grab hold of her, she rushed forward. Agents turned, raised their weapons, but her target wasn't Loki. With a Cheshire Cat grin, Maria gestured to the agents to stand down.

Darcy launched herself into Fandral's arms, jumping up and twining her legs around his waist. The weight was so unexpected that the warrior toppled back onto the grass.

"Whoa- Darcy!" he gasped. "I take it you missed me?"

"Shut up, Alien Boy!" she snapped, reaching down and dragging his lips to hers by his collar.

"Forgive him, President Jameson," Loki murmured smoothly, ruthlessly suppressing his own grin. "They are betrothed, I believe. Naturally the separation has not been easy."

Maria was fighting not to laugh, as were the assembled Avengers. Tony dropped Loki a wink.

"Speaking of which, please excuse me," he continued, sweeping past the stunned President, his eyes scanning the crowd for Jane. "I have my own betrothed to meet again, after a prolonged separation."

He was dimly aware of Jameson furiously, but quietly, demanding Maria to tell him what was going on. He smiled.

Then he saw her, at last, entirely. He had to stop, arrested as Tony nudged her forward. She was radiant in a dress of dark emerald, just peeking from the confines of a pearl white coat. Her long hair, even longer than he had last seen it, fell past her shoulders and her eyes glowed. Her smile outshone the sun.

He knew he should do his duty, and seek her out later. He knew what he should do, but maybe for once, he'd take a leaf out of his deceased brother's book.

Without saying a word, he marched up to her. Alarm sparked on Jane's face, before he was on her, and he slid his hands into her coat, gripped her waist and pulled her forward roughly. He lowered his head, and at last, his lips were on hers.

She froze for one moment, then her arms came around his neck and she returned it hungrily. Her hand crept up into his shorter hair, and gripped tightly.

There, in that perfect moment, her body against his, their lips passionately fused, Jane felt all her fears and doubts wash away. This was good, this was _**right**_. This was how it was meant to be.

When Jane forced herself away, head whirling, lungs starved of oxygen, she smiled weakly up at the darkened eyes and hard features of her fiancé. A fiancé she hadn't seen for a year.

"Hello," she murmured breathlessly. A smile eased Loki's features, and he leant his forehead on hers.

"Oh how I have missed you Jane," he replied, his mouth once again saying her name sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. "I am so proud of you."

He went to kiss her again, but she pointedly looked towards the President and Maria. "Hey, go over there and be polite. I don't want to be the cause of an intergalactic incident," she told him, as sternly as she could, but with his fingers caressing her back through her dress, it came out rather strangled.

"I do what I want, my lady," he whispered huskily. "And that includes kissing you and damn your President to hell."

Jane went to argue, but Loki cut her off with another kiss, slower this time, more thorough and languid. It melted Jane's spine, and she sank against him with an embarrassingly loud moan. His answering groan was enough to make her forget her point.

"God, I missed you," she sighed against his lips. Loki smirked mischievously.

"I take it then, you still wish to marry me?" he asked lightly, yet Jane saw anxiety in his eyes. She stroked his cheek, smiling as tears welled.

"As Darcy would say, hell yes," she murmured. Loki pulled her to him, holding her close, her head beneath his chin, almost bruisingly so. Jane returned the ferocity, despite how uncomfortable his armour was.

Loud applause suddenly broke out, and wolf-whistling, as the Aesir, the Avengers and SHIELD personnel watched the reunion with smiles on their faces.

"Give her a real kiss!" someone, Jane suspected Tony, yelled, and from the wicked grin on her lover's face, he was inclined to agree.

Suddenly he bent her back over his arm, and Jane laughed breathlessly as she clung to him. Loki's smile widened, his eyes soft, as he bent his head and their lips brushed, moulded and fused together once more.

As more wolf-whistling, laughter, and applause rang out, Loki heard Jane's voice in his head.

_**Never let me go…**_

_**Never.**_ He silently vowed. _**I never will again.**_

* * *

Later that evening, after seemingly endless introductions and discussions with Earth politicians, Loki paced the end of a corridor in a wing of the White House. Apparently the President was throwing some sort of welcoming feast for him and his retinue.

Had it not been for the diplomatic arts that been drilled into him since childhood, he would have told the mortal not to bother. He would much rather be spending the evening with his beautiful lover that he had not seen in a year.

At least, after introducing her as his fiancée, as the mortals called it, the President had obsequiously agreed to house her with him. He would have her in his bed tonight, at last. Lust, and need, coiled inside him like a pacing beast, chained for the moment, but growing desperate. It had been a year, and far too long in his opinion.

Tony, slumped insouciantly against the wall in a black tuxedo, watched his pacing with an amused smirk.

"Stop smirking, mortal," he snapped, but he just rolled his eyes.

"Dude, seriously, chill," Tony muttered. "She's coming. Women always take forever to get dressed."

"Oddly enough, stating the obvious is not helping, Tony," Loki retorted. Tony just sighed exasperatedly.

"If you thought this was bad, you should have seen him back home," Fandral interjected from his corner. "Like a snarling animal half the time, and pining romantic the next."

Tony laughed, Loki shot Fandral a quelling glare. The blonde warrior just smirked and raised his hands in surrender.

He heard laughter as a door open, creaking on its hinges, then turned to look as a phalanx of brightly dressed women walked towards him. He recognised Darcy, vibrant and feminine in a floaty peach gown, while Pepper looked elegant in a black ensemble, her red hair piled high.

But the figure that walked towards him behind them caught and held his attention the most.

Jane's caramel hair was piled high on her head, smoothed down so there was not a hair out of place. Her dress was dark blue, like the ocean deeps, and consisted of a sleeveless lace bodice, bisected by a diagonal sash of silk across her gently curving waist. The dress hugged her waist before dropping from her hips in a gentle fall. She wore a high-collared jacket over the top, of the same colour and material, the sleeves ending at her elbow. Her neck and ears were bare, but the dress was ornament enough.

Loki had only seen Jane in a dress once, at the memorial service. Then she had looked lovely, but now…she was stunning. She moved differently, more elegantly than when she wore her beloved jeans and boots, and her back was straighter, her head held high. She looked like a Queen.

Soon to be his Queen.

All three men straightened as their ladies approached, Tony stepping forward to take Pepper's arm with a grin.

"You look lovely, Darcy," Fandral murmured. She rolled her eyes derisively.

"Don't go all chivalrous on me," she muttered, clasping her hand in his and leading him away, teasing him mercilessly. Leaving Jane and Loki alone.

Jane could feel it, feel the atmosphere shift from friendly to charged. She had felt Loki's admiring gaze on her body when she had left Pepper's room. Now it turned to heated, and her pulse raced.

"My love," he breathed, reaching for her hand and kissing it lingeringly. "Truly you look like a Queen tonight."

At the mention of that word again, a little hint of unease crept into Jane's mind, but she determinedly pushed it away again. Not here, not now.

"You're not looking too shabby yourself," she told him airily, eying his body, all long, lean, graceful lines, clothed in rich black and emerald, his boots shining in the soft lighting. "I like your hair."

Loki's smile turned rueful. "Mother. Few can gainsay her when she has a goal in mind."

"And her goal was to shorten your hair?" Jane laughed, teasingly, and Loki relished the sound. "Oh dear, how fiercesome she must be for you to give in so easily."

"Is that a hint of mockery I hear in your tone, my lady Jane?" he asked, reaching out and pulling her against him. Her body sank to his, and he shuddered. "For if it is…"

"You're all talk," Jane retorted, slipping out of his lax hold and escaping before he could haul her into his arms and kiss her senseless. "Come on. I think we've taxed the President's patience enough for one day."

Just as they entered the official functions room of the White House, filled with a glittering swathe of men and women from across the world, Loki caught Jane by the waist, his hand sliding down around her wrist, gripping it evocatively.

"I will make you take back those words tonight, my love," he whispered, taking her hand and placing it on his arm. She shivered as his words brushed her ear, his lips following, and turned heated eyes to his.

* * *

By the end of the night, Jane was willing to kill.

Loki was more than exacting his revenge for her teasing earlier. As she sat beside him at the table, grudgingly given a place beside him when the President was told she was his betrothed, she felt glancing touches against her thigh, her waist. A brush of fingers against her back, the inside of her wrist.

Unfortunately her dress was no barrier, yet another gift forced on her by a mysteriously deaf Natasha; if anything the silk transferred the warmthof Loki's hands and doubled it, so she felt like she was in a too-tight cocoon of heat.

Added to that, the President's sanctimonious speech, drawling on and on for hours, were getting on her nerves, and she was on the verge of losing her temper.

"Are you well, Jane?" Loki asked, solicitously. "You look somewhat flushed."

The urge to retort was on Jane's lips, but she just smiled sweetly and shook her head, while slipping her hand onto his thigh, sliding it up the long, muscled column. Even that touch, designed to tease _**him**_, made her mouth water as the muscle tensed and flickered under her touch.

At Loki's sudden intake of breath, she smiled and inclined her head to him. "There's an old Earth saying. Eye for an eye," she whispered, biting her lip and turning away to talk to an oblivious Foreign Secretary on her other side.

Tony watched them from his table, and snickered to himself. He'd watched Jane growing steadily redder all night, not to mention she was almost visibly panting, but now it seemed the tables had been turned on Loki. Where was popcorn when he needed it?

"You play with fire, Jane," Loki murmured warningly. Jane's smile only widened.

"Don't you mean ice?" she taunted him, withdrawing her hand. Spotting Loki's surprised look, she laughed. "Got you."

He looked at her, his gaze turning intent, before he lowered his head to hers, his lips brushing her ear. "Always," he growled.

* * *

It was with a burning anticipation that Jane and Loki walked back towards his room, after the dinner had ended, the guests dispersed to their rooms. Rippling waves of warmth prickled beneath her skin, simmering her blood.

As soon as the door closed, she expected Loki to pounce on her, but as she glided towards the bed, she noticed he stopped at the door, watching her with an odd look on his face.

Jane was stood in a shaft of moonlight, haloing her form, making her skin gleam like alabaster, and her hair shine with a silvery glow. She looked like an ice maiden, waiting to be melted.

"Don't move," he told her gently but firmly. "Just stay where you are."

She turned to face him, her amber eyes questioning, but she didn't move further. He locked the door, stripping off his shirt and tunics, letting them fall unheeded to the ground. With a deep breath, he removed the illusion masking his features, and felt the icy thrill as his Jotunn form asserted itself.

Jane's eyes didn't flicker in fear. If anything, when Loki met them cautiously, they burned with fire.

He walked to her, kneeling before her and placing his hands on her waist. "You are the only one to see me like this," he murmured, as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear lovingly. "The only one I would allow. You have seen my very soul and not turned away. Thank you."

"I should be thanking you, love," she breathed. "It's so very easy to love you, Loki. And I do, forever."

Her hands traced along his shoulders, and he shivered. Jane's smile deepened. "Now, come on. I'm waiting for you to make me take back my words."

Loki's smile returned, wicked and dark, as he rose to his feet in such a show of power and grace, towering over Jane, that she gasped. His lips danced along hers, as he raised his hands. Gently, he brushed them along her cheekbones, and down her neck, before sliding beneath the material of her jacket, pushing it back. She let him, her eyes shutting halfway, her every cell alive with lust. Her jacket hit the floor with a heavy thud, and then he was on her, their lips passionately and needily devouring each other. Loki's palms burned through her dress, heating her skin, blue against silvery white, as he pushed her down onto the bed, Jane arching beneath him as his lips marked her neck.

* * *

A week later, Fandral, Darcy, Jane and Loki stood on the Bifrost site, the Avengers watching from a short distance away. They had already said their goodbyes. They would be coming for the weddings in a few days' time.

"Are you ready?" Loki asked Jane. She looked around one last time, taking in the blue skies of Earth and the green grass, and the slowly recovering city of Washington DC in the distance. She smiled.

"Yes," she breathed. She glanced at Darcy, who just smiled and willingly let Fandral draw her into the circle of his arm. Only a small guard would accompany them back, and they moved into position around the four, the rest remaining behind temporarily to assist with the rebuilding effort.

Loki looked up to the skies and his grip tightened on Jane's waist. "Heimdall, open the Bifrost!"

Tony watched with a smile as a beam of light erupted from the clouds above their heads, and engulfed the group.

With a chuckle, ignoring Natasha's questioning look, he shook his head and muttered himself; "Good luck, girls."


	29. Show Of Strength

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: None.

Chapter Playlist: 'Reminiscing with Grandma' from 'Anastasia' and 'The King and Queen' from 'The Three Musketeers'.

* * *

'_We can be the kings and queens of anything if we 's written in the stars that shine above._

_A world where you and I belong,_

_Where faith and love will keep us strong._

_Exactly who we are is just enough._

_Y__es there's a place for us.'_

_**- There's A Place For Us, Carrie Underwood**_

* * *

"Wow," was the first word that left Darcy's lips. It didn't quite do it, for Jane.

Asgard was everything she had imagined, and more. It rose up before her, as they stood within the archway of the reconstructed Observatory, gazing towards the shining city.

The gatekeeper, Heimdall, stood before them, tall and intimidating. Jane almost thought he was taller than Loki, which was a feat.

"My Prince," he bowed to Loki, "Lord Fandral, my Ladies. Welcome to Asgard. Your arrival has been impatiently awaited."

Jane almost thought he had an amused twinkle in those unnaturally golden eyes as they glanced towards Loki.

"The All-Father and the Queen await you in the palace."

"Thank you, Heimdall," Loki inclined his head, striding past the golden figure of the guardian with a curt smile. Darcy followed Fandral with wide eyes, darting everywhere, but Jane lingered.

"Thank you," she murmured, politely. Heimdall nodded once, and did she glimpse a slight smile?

She hurried past, out onto the Bridge, and almost jumped as the crystalline surface sang beneath her feet with every step. Loki laughed, and reached for her.

"You will grow used to it, my love," he told her, before glancing to the soldiers awaiting his command. "Form up and follow behind us, Captain."

"Yes, My Prince," the nearest golden armoured warrior replied with a bow of his head. Jane frowned slightly as she watched Loki so effortlessly command the warriors. She had seen his way with the men when they had fought the Enchantresses, but here, he truly seemed like a Prince.

No, not a Prince. A King.

Loki pulled her forward, and Jane was once again distracted by the incredible beauty of the Realm stretching out before her. This was to be her new home?

Loki's words had not done it justice, a feat in itself. As Jane cautiously peered over the edge of the Bridge, the ocean roared as it fell over a precipice and into the galaxies below. Above her, the sky was a jewelled tapestry of glistening diamonds, in shades of red, blue, white and gold.

Beyond the walls of Asgard City, she could see the mountains Loki once mentioned, snow-capped and draped in emerald pines.

Jane felt Loki's gaze on her face, and she turned to him, her eyes shining. "It's so beautiful," she breathed. Loki smiled, drawing her closer.

"Your kingdom, my love," he murmured in her ear, leading her away from the edge of the Bridge. "Now, come. It is far to walk, so we shall ride."

Then Jane noticed the horses. And stopped dead.

Loki looked back with a frown. "Jane?"

"I can't ride," she muttered, her eyes wide now with trepidation. "I really can't ride."

Before them were stood two magnificent stallions, one a burnished chestnut, the other a pearlescent grey. They stamped their hooves impatiently, and tossed their heads. To Jane, they looked wild.

"Do not fear," he told her soothingly. "Brego shall not harm you. You will ride before me, and I won't let you fall."

With a deep breath, glad she'd worn trousers not a dress, she let Loki lead her towards the grey, who quietened with a word from his rider, and even butted him on the head playfully.

"Brego is really a lazy old donkey in disguise," Loki told her jokingly. "His neigh is worse than his bite."

Jane turned to Darcy, wondering what she would make of this, but the brunette was in the process of gracefully mounting the chestnut with the ease of someone who had done it before.

"What?" she shrugged her shoulders at Jane's shocked glance. "I went riding in Texas once, on a school trip. It isn't that hard."

"Easy for you to say, show off," Jane muttered, as Fandral mounted behind Darcy. Loki took her hand, leading her towards the stirrup.

"Let me, Jane," he murmured, and before she could open her mouth, he had lifted her up and into the saddle effortlessly. She grabbed hold of Brego's mane, and the stallion stamped mulishly. Loki laughed. "Relax, love. Brego has always made it a point of honour that once a rider is on his back, they never fall off it. In any case, grabbing his mane thus will not endear you to him."

Jane eyed him narrowly, as his grin only magnified in mischief, as he mounted behind her. Suddenly, she was surrounded by harm, muscular male clad in leather, his thighs gripping her hips, one arm around her waist. His breath tickled her neck.

Well…maybe she could get used to this.

Loki smirked, as if guessing her thoughts, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Come along. The King and Queen await us!" he called, circling Brego and pushing him into gallop.

They rode through the City quickly, the only impression of it that Jane got was a flash of gold and curious faces as people rushed to see the return of the Prince. She did notice they all dressed in black.

"Still in mourning for my brother," Loki murmured in her ear. "It will end tomorrow."

Jane nodded, finding it not too difficult to sit to the rhythm of the horse as he made his way through the streets. The Palace loomed before them, separated from the City by a great Gate, gleaming like polished bronze and engraved with intricate designs. It opened before they reached it, and the procession swept inside, into a courtyard of white stone. Somewhere Jane could hear the tinkling music of a fountain. Flowers seemed to peek from every corner, draped over galleries and balconies, trailing up trellises on the walls. The very stone itself seemed to shine.

Loki urged Brego to a halt, before dismounting and turning to help Jane down. Unused to the strain, her legs collapsed, her thighs burning, but Loki caught her up again.

"You'll get used to it, love," he told her cockily. Jane glared and thumped him lightly on the shoulder, but it just made him chuckle. He turned to a young woman who descended the steps, clad in gold and white, her long hair draping her back in soft curls of honey gold. "Melia!" he called. "May I introduce the Lady Jane Foster, and the Lady Darcy Lewis?"

The woman curtseyed deeply, her eyes studying the two mortals intently. When Jane gave a tentative smile, she smiled in return.

"I am honoured. If you will follow me, the Queen bade me prepare rooms for you so you may refresh yourselves before your audience with her," she told them cordially. Darcy glanced to Fandral, who shooed her away. Loki let Jane go with a squeeze of her hand.

"I will see you both later," he told her. Jane smiled and nodded, inwardly nervous, but the light in Loki's eyes gave her strength, enough to straighten her spine and do her best to walk after Melia and Darcy with some attempt at grace.

As they walked through the Palace's seemingly endless corridors, Melia kept up a running commentary while Jane and Darcy stared.

"That is the entrance to the east wing, where guests of the King and Queen are housed. You are not to be housed there, you will be housed in the Royal Wing, Lady Jane….Those are the Royal Gardens, which also contains the Queen's private gardens, and the path out to the stables and the sparring fields….That is the feasting hall, and the chambers of State for official meetings between the Ambassadors of the Nine Realms and the King…. Those are the corridors which lead down to the throne room…the eastern tower houses the Warriors Three and the military barracks…the western tower looks out to the sea and to the stars, so it is used as an observatory…that corridor leads to the royal libraries…"

Jane was sure she'd never find her way around.

"Here is your room, Lady Darcy," Melia paused outside of a door carved with the likeness of a bird in flight. Darcy winked at Jane as she went inside.

"And yours is just down here, Lady Jane," she continued, leading Jane on until they paused outside another carved door like Darcy's, except this one was engraved with the image of a dragon. She stepped inside, and stopped dead, her jaw dropping.

It was palatial, to say the least. It opened up into a wide, square marble hall, in white and gold, from which led off two corridors.

"That is your bathing chamber," Melia explained, waving towards the left corridor. "And this is your bedchamber."

This room was smaller than the audience chamber, but cosier. A fire crackled in a marble grate carved to look like ivy draped its mantelpiece. A red rug was stretched out on the hearth in front of it, and two chairs, made of some polished dark wood, were placed before it, draped with silks and cushions. A small table stood between the chairs, on which waited a carafe and two crystal glasses, and a small vase holding flowers, of a kind Jane had never seen before, like lilies but in a deep violet.

The bed was a large four-poster, draped in white and red silks across its frame, the bedspread a rich cream damask, partially covered by a fur throw. A chest stood against its end, and two armoires waited against the opposite wall. Directly opposite the bed was a set of doors, open to reveal a small balcony.

"It's beautiful," Jane breathed in wonder. Melia smiled.

"Good. My Queen will be pleased to hear it," she murmured. Jane ventured out onto the balcony to find a stunning view out over the gardens, and to the forests and mountains beyond. She heard laughing below, and looked down to see three ladies walking with their attendants in the golden sunshine.

They were all radiantly beautiful, as Jane felt her heart sink. "Who are they?" she asked, making sure her voice remained light and unconcerned. Melia stepped close, frowning slightly, before her brow smoothed again.

"The Ladies Sigyn and Angrboda of Vanaheim, and Queen Karnilla of Nornheim," she explained. "The tall lady in the red and gold gown is Karnilla…"

The lady she pointed to was dressed in an exquisite gown of red and gold, the long draped sleeves exposing her slender, pale skin. Long curly brown hair tumbled loosely down her back, checked only by a golden band, encrusted with pearls. Jane could feel the power radiating off of her from her balcony.

"That is the Lady Sigyn," Melia pointed to the next lady, a tall, slender woman with glorious, wavy raven black hair, and olive skin. Her flawless figure was clothed in vibrant gold, dotted with seed pearls.

"And that is Angrboda," she finished. Angrboda was shorter than her two companions, and fuller in figure too. She was clothed in azure blue, her dark hair elaborately curled and coiled atop her head. "Lady Angrboda and Queen Karnilla are both sorcereresses. Sigyn is not."

"They're all beautiful," Jane sighed. Melia turned to her swiftly.

"Fear not, Lady Jane. The Prince made it clear who his choice was as soon as he returned to Asgard," she told her comfortingly. "Now your bath is waiting, and I will lay out fresh clothes for you. I shall return in one hour to lead you to the Queen's chambers."

Eased by Melia's no-nonsense attitude, Jane nodded and determinedly turned away from the sight of the three lovely women.

* * *

Jane tried not to fidget as she looked at herself in the long mirror that was hidden behind a screen in her bathing chamber. Melia had left out a long white shift, and a beautiful over-gown in dark wine red. It was finer than anything she had ever seen or worn before, and she felt self-conscious.

Unsure what to do with her hair, she coiled it at the nape of her neck, securing it with some pins she found in a small box on a side counter.

"My lady Jane?" a voice called, and she started slightly. Turning, with one last look in the mirror, she left the bathing chamber.

Melia awaited her in the audience chamber, and she smiled at the sight of her. "If I may say so, you look beautiful, Lady Jane," she murmured kindly. "I will arrange to have your other clothes cleaned and put away. Now come along, the Queen is waiting."

After they had collected Darcy, changed into a long, flowing dress in spring green, they walked quickly along the corridors, even further into the palace. Melia paused before two towering doors and bowed.

"I will leave you here. The Queen is inside," she inclined her head, before gracefully turning away. Darcy leant in to whisper conspiratorially in Jane's ear.

"Jeez, and I thought my mom was bossy!"

Stifling a giggle, Jane entered first.

The Queen's apartments were beautiful, grander than either Jane's or Darcy's, and cavernous. Lush silks and satins draped the walls and tables, intricate tapestries displaying scenes that Jane vaguely recalled from Norse legends. She supposed they were almost history here.

Frigg rose from a long, low-slung sofa before the fireplace, and she smiled warmly at the sight of the two mortals.

"Jane, Darcy. Welcome," she held out her hands. "No formalities here. Come, sit."

Jane and Darcy sat on the comfortable sofa gladly, while an attendant appeared to pour them wine and place a tray of bread and fruit on a side table.

They were soon peppered with a whole host of questions. Were their quarters to their liking? How was their journey? Did they have time to see much of the city? Did they need anything?

Jane felt exhausted just answering them all.

Frigg smiled, and she had a suspicion that the Queen knew. With a warm smile at Darcy, she gestured to the door as it was opened to reveal Fandral, dressed casually in a black tunic, breeches and boots.

"I believe your betrothed wishes you to meet his family, Lady Darcy," she explained, as the younger woman stood when Fandral took her hand. "Good luck," she whispered, mock-quietly. Fandral laughed and shook his head.

"Mother will be delighted to meet you," he assured Darcy quietly. "She's been on at me about settling down and producing grandchildren for over a century."

Darcy's answering smile was weak but sincere. "Well, ok then. Let's go meet the in-laws!" she muttered, shooting Jane a narrow glare when she tried not to laugh at the green shade of Darcy's skin.

When the pair had left, Frigg turned back to Jane with a knowing smile. "You are very quiet, Jane. Is Asgard not to your liking?" she asked. Jane's eyes widened.

"It's the most stunning place I have ever seen," she replied hurriedly. "I love it here."

"I am glad to hear it. You will soon be its Queen," Frigg told her wryly. "The official mourning period for Thor ends tomorrow. Tomorrow night, Odin will announce your marriage to Loki. Will three weeks be convenient time to prepare?"

"Yeah…I mean yes," Jane stuttered, suddenly thrown. "What about Darcy's wedding?"

"That is will be arranged very soon, if I know Fandral," Frigg chuckled with a twinkle in her eye. "Are you anxious about meeting the All-Father?"

"Anxious not to embarrass Loki more than anything," Jane admitted, thinking back to those three women she had seen from the balcony. "I know Loki has made his peace with you, but I don't know how civil I can be to a man who hurt him so much, even if it was good-intentioned."

The Queen nodded gravely. "Your honesty is refreshing, I will admit. I never wanted Loki to be kept ignorant to his true birth, but sometimes the will of a King outweighs the will of a mother."

"There is one thing I don't understand. Why did the All-Father, if he intended Loki to learn about his heritage and become King of Jotunheim, tell him the Frost Giants were monsters? Couldn't he see how much that would screw him up when he did find out?" Jane asked, her voice growing passionate. Abruptly, she caught herself, reminded of the fact that she was sitting with the Queen.

"Appearances, I am afraid," Frigg's smile turned sad, and she looked away. "When Odin brought Loki back to me, Asgard was still reeling from the war with Jotunheim. To vilify the Frost Giants was to unite Asgard under one cause, and once that was accomplished, it would have looked odd for Odin to suddenly cease denouncing them as monsters. As King, or even a Queen, one must always juggle what is right with what is needed. Asgard needed an enemy, and the Frost Giants, by their actions, provided one. It is a sad truth, but unfortunately that is the reality of life at court."

It was Jane's turn to look away now, as unease filled her again at Frigg's not so subtle hint at her impending change in status. The Aesir leaned forward, taking Jane's hand tightly.

"You fear becoming Queen, do you not?" she asked softly. Jane nodded.

"I saw some of the other…women who wanted Loki," she admitted. "All of them look like they would make a better Queen than I would."

"Has loving Loki not taught you that appearances are not everything?" Frigg replied gently. Jane looked to her, brow furrowed. "Lady Sigyn and Lady Angrboda may look queenly, but their hearts are cold, mercenary. They do not love my son, and look to Asgard merely as a stepping stone to power and wealth. They would not care for the people beneath them. Queen Karnilla, while born to rule, too would have been divided between her Realm and ours, and she too looked to Loki, not for love, but for power and alliance. Would you rather Loki had chosen one of them?"

"No, of course not," Jane replied heatedly. "But I'm not a Queen, Frigg! I'm just a little scientist from Earth. I don't know the first thing about ruling a Realm!"

"Neither did I," her future mother-in-law replied. "But you will learn, as I did. Do not doubt yourself, Jane. Loki has faith in you, as do I."

Jane looked up into Frigg's loving eyes, and tried to ignore her unease, as she smiled back weakly.

"I wish Loki would have as much faith in himself," Jane replied. "Do you find him ugly when he's in his Jotunn form?"

Frigg shook her head. "No. I cannot say I find Frost Giants comely to look upon, they are what they are, but in Loki…his features are beautiful, whatever their colour."

"I wish I could make him feel what _**I **_feel when he changes into that…" she trailed off, suddenly embarrassed as she revealed a little bit too much. Frigg was his mother after all.

The Queen's smile was knowing, and Jane blushed. "It is all right, Jane. I know you have been intimate with my son," she teased her, before her face grew solemn. "But, harking back to appearances once more, I must warn you to avoid giving in to temptation while you are still unmarried. I understand that on Earth it is not seen as wrong to lie with one you love outside of marriage, but on Asgard it is more taboo."

Jane nodded. She looked down, inwardly debating whether she should ask what was on her mind, but Frigg beat her to it.

"Ask, my dear. I want to help you as much as I can," she murmured.

"I was just wondering…if there's any way I could get checked out. For my fertility. I meant to get it done before we left Earth, but things have been so hectic-" Jane trailed off, before throwing cautious to the winds and continuing. "I should be pregnant by now, considering how long we were together before he came back to Asgard."

Frigg shook her head. "There is a simple explanation for that," she replied gently. "You have not quickened with child because you cannot, not yet. While I believe that there are some similarities between the Aesir, the Jotunns and humans, the differences are still too great for such a mingling to occur."

Jane looked down, inwardly rocked. She and Loki couldn't have children? Then she shouldn't marry him, he needed an heir, she shouldn't-

Jane forced herself to take a deep breath. "You said not yet. What do you mean?" she asked calmly. Frigg's smile widened.

"When you consume the Apple, you will no longer be human," she explained. "The change will not be…anything you can truly see or feel, as such. Nothing about your outward appearance will change, but inside of you, deep within your…DNA? Yes? Your DNA will be changed entirely. There have been Aesir/Jotunn children, although such subjects are taboo, and once you are Aesir, you will be able to conceive a child with Loki."

"One day," Jane breathed a sigh of relief. "Perhaps not quite yet."

"Have you told my son that?" Frigg teased her, and Jane laughed.

"He'll learn," she replied lightly, as Frigg laughed harder.

Gradually they calmed, and Frigg leaned forward with a wicked grin so like her son's, that Jane had to remind herself they weren't related by blood. "If you wish my son to see what you see when he assumes his natural form, then I have an idea, Jane," she murmured softly. "My power does not run to magic and spells, but there may be a way. Has Loki shown you how to disguise your appearance with magic yet?"

Jane frowned, shaking her head. Then the reality of what Frigg was insinuating hit her, and she blushed. "Oh!"

"Exactly, my dear," Frigg's smile deepened, and Jane decided she rather liked her future mother-in-law.

* * *

Jane left the Queen not long after that, wondering if she might try and find Loki, or one of the royal libraries, failing that. She had some research to do.

She was just rounding a corner, when she heard a tittering laugh behind her. Turning, she saw the three women she'd glimpsed from her balcony. The darker one, Sigyn, was the one giggling. The other two merely watched her coolly.

"So this is the little mortal the Prince brought home," she pronounced haughtily. "What in all the Nine Realms did he see in a little mousy thing like you?"

"Clearly he saw something," Jane replied coolly. Everything about her made her bristle, like the rich, snooty girls in high school who looked down on everyone who didn't have a sports car in their driveway. "Since he chose me and not you."

The brunette flushed, and Jane smiled grimly. _One to me…_

But then a sly smile came over Sigyn's flawless face, and she stepped forward coyly. "Of course, he must. He has quite the charm does he not? Aptly named," she paused for effect. "I myself have felt the full force of his Silvertongue…"

Jane smirked. _Nice try…_

"Yes it is quite nice, isn't it?" she replied calmly. "I plan to enjoy it for quite some time to come."

Sigyn flushed with anger, her words turned scathing. "I highly doubt that," she sniffed. "A common, lowly little thing like you? He must have been desperate…"

Jane snapped. Her magic rose up, fuelled by anger and indignation, as she raised her hand and Sigyn shot backwards, into a column and then was lifted high into the air by some invisible force.

* * *

From her position, Karnilla calmly watched as Jane held Sigyn prisoner. She restrained Angrboda with a warning glance.

She could feel the mortal's power. It was far greater than anything she had felt before, since the first time she met the Prince. She was not to be trifled with.

It seemed Loki had chosen well after all, and if the look on his face was anything to go by, from where she could see him concealed in the shadows, watching his betrothed exert her power, he was fully aware of that fact.

Karnilla was no fool, unlike Sigyn. If she could not be Loki's queen, then she would gladly make him and his bride an ally.

* * *

"You are a jealous, bitter hag," Jane told her captive through gritted teeth. "And you're really not worth my time."

And with that, she released Sigyn, who slid down the wall, coughing and spluttering.

"Indeed not," Loki breathed behind her, as she turned only to find him striding towards her, desire like fire in his eyes. "Truer words have never been spoken."

He pulled her to him, and made certain to kiss her enthusiastically, almost lifting her off of her feet. He had heard every poisonous word the vacuous Lady Sigyn had said to her, and was only proud that Jane had dealt with her so calmly. He could feel the stunned, disgusted looks from Angrboda and Sigyn as he pulled Jane closer as he devoured her mouth. Seeing her in all her glory, fighting for her man, putting Sigyn in her true place, feeling her magic rise so powerfully…she intoxicated him.

He forced himself to stop, panting lightly as he broke the kiss, just long enough to look down on Sigyn as she forced herself to her knees.

"Know this, my lady," he snarled. "I never would have chosen you when I have this exquisite creature in my arms. You are nothing."

Sigyn flushed with rage, her entire body trembling.

"Might I suggest that you and your ladies remove yourself from Asgard? You are not to return until my bride gives you leave, nor will you tell anyone of what occurred here, unless you would prefer I reveal your affair with Captain Theoric to your father? I am sure he would be most displeased to know his eldest daughter has so rashly thrown away her maidenhead…" Loki trailed off meaningfully. Sigyn paled, before she pulled herself up, with the last shreds of her dignity, and stalked away, Angrboda hurrying in her wake.

Karnilla stepped forward, a gracious smile on her lips. "My Prince," she bowed, before turning to Jane and bowing deeply. "My Lady. If ever you require my aid, or my knowledge, you need only ask."

And with that, she swept gracefully away, leaving a stunned Jane, and a honestly surprised Loki behind.


	30. One Step At A Time

At The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warnings: None.

Chapter Playlist: 'Merlin Lost' from 'Merlin: Original TV Soundtrack', 'Science and Magic' from 'Thor' and 'Elizabeth Arrives At Court' from 'The Tudors Season 2'.

* * *

'_To err is human; to forgive is divine.'_

_**- Alexander Pope**_

* * *

The next morning, Jane was walking in the gardens. Their beauty and tranquillity had quickly made them her favourite place in the palace. They stretched out before her like an undulated painting of green lawns, neatly cut hedges, and colourful flower beds.

She had found one particular spot, a short way away from the palace, an isolated little corner, that she loved. It contained a small pond into which a waterfall fell, shaded by cool willows, and Jane loved to sit there, in the warm afternoon, with one hand trailing in the water and the other reading a book.

Loki was about somewhere, but as heir to the throne, he was often busy. Jane didn't begrudge him it; the more he got done now, the longer they could be together after the wedding undisturbed.

The wedding. It was still three weeks away, and the announcement to be made at a feast tonight when a delegation from Earth came to Asgard, but still…the thought of it made Jane's head whirl.

Darcy would be married first, but then she wasn't marrying the Prince. Not to mention it would be far quieter and more personal than her wedding could be. Darcy was marrying the man she loved, simple. Jane was becoming royalty at the same time.

Despite Frigg's reassuring words the day before, and her own boosted confidence after putting Lady Sigyn in her place, she was still uneasy about becoming a Queen. What if she messed it up? Disappointed Loki, or made him look weak? Things were so very different here, than on Earth. More archaic, more rigid and unforgiving, almost medieval in some ways.

If she could, Jane would change that.

* * *

Suddenly she heard a gentle rustling on the grass, and glanced up, expecting to see Darcy or maybe Melia come to fetch her for more wedding planning, but her jaw dropped as her eyes fell on the golden robed figure who stood before her.

The All-Father.

Jane scrambled to her feet, but did not bow. One thing she had decided was that she would be courteous, and even respectful after she married Loki and became a citizen of Asgard, but until then she wouldn't make it difficult to see exactly where her loyalties lay.

Always with Loki.

"Jane Foster," the All-Father's voice was like his face, gnarled, aged but still strong. "I was hoping to find you alone. I know that my son does not trust me easily with you."

"Perhaps he has cause, All-Father," Jane murmured politely. Odin sighed and nodded.

"Indeed, perhaps he has," he replied. "But I would wish for time to acquaint myself with my future daughter, if it pleases you?"

Surprised, but hiding it, Jane smiled and took the All-Father's arm. He led her out of her hiding place, and back towards the palace.

Wanting to break the slightly tense silence, she looked up to the shining walls of the palace. "It's so beautiful here. So peaceful and tranquil," she said softly, hoping it would break the ice.

"Yes it is. But it is a peace brought with the lives of thousands of innocents," Odin replied gravely. "You yourself have given your life to protect this Realm, although you were fortunate enough to escape with it intact. Both Heimdall and my wife have told me of your bravery and strength, and my son your beauty, wisdom and gentleness."

"They exaggerate," Jane couldn't help a blush. The All-Father chuckled.

"And modest too. That will be good for a Queen of Asgard," he replied quietly. "Jane, Asgard is old, as am I. For millenia I have maintained it, cherished its traditions but now I feel my time is shortening. This Realm will need new guidance, a new path."

"What are you saying?" she asked, frowning.

"When I chose Thor as my heir, it was not purely because I desired for Loki to take up the crown of Jotunheim," Odin explained. "I saw in Thor myself. I saw a King who would maintain the old ways, and at that time, I thought it good. Now I am no longer sure."

"Loki will be a good King," he suddenly turned to her as they reached a terrace, taking Jane's hand. "I know it. I have always known it."

"Then maybe you should tell him that," Jane replied pointedly. "I won't pretend to understand what exactly went on between you two, but Loki was, and still is, a son looking for his father's approval and love. Now more than ever."

"That may be so," Odin inclined his head. "I hope you never have cause to regret your decisions, Lady Jane. It is a bitter poison. I have never regretted anything more than the pain I caused my son. I am just thankful that he had you to turn to for solace. There is a darkness in Loki, that I have known and seen all the days of his life, that made him so powerful a sorcerer, and so cunning a tactician on the battlefield. And I have feared it, at times, but none more so than when he turned on me in rage and anguish, after discovering the truth of his birthright. It is a darkness that could destroy worlds."

"I know about Loki's darkness," Jane replied, firmly, growing slightly annoyed. She had felt that very first afternoon he awakened her magic. "It doesn't scare me. If anything, it just makes me love him more."

"I am glad of it," the All-Father kissed her hand. "Thank you."

"I won't say that telling Loki the truth of your feelings for him will change anything," she squeezed his hand supportively. "But it might help. One step at a time."

* * *

The great hall was filled with light and laughter as Asgard officially came out of mourning for its lost King. The columns and walls were festooned with garlands of flowers and emerald silks, and hundreds of guests sat at the long tables, eating and drinking merrily.

Loki paused beside the Midgardian delegation's table, clapping shoulders and kissing the hands of the ladies. All the Avengers bar Steven Rogers were there, the Captain having stayed behind to guard the Earth. Loki saw through the thin excuse, but let it pass. He could hardly blame him.

"Hey there, big fella," Tony stood to shake his hand. "How's engaged life treating you?"

That last said with a distinctly wicked grin, Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Well enough, Tony, well enough," he replied, before his gaze fell to Pepper, radiant and blooming beside him.

"Wait till you're married. It all goes downhill from there," Tony continued jokingly, unaware that Pepper could hear him. "As soon as that ring's on their finger, they become the boss."

"No change there then," Pepper replied curtly. "He would forget his own socks if I didn't remind him to put them on every morning."

Tony flushed a deep red as the table and Loki burst into laughter. "You're lucky I love you, woman," he growled playfully, as Pepper just smiled, so transparently happy it made Loki suspect…

"Is there something you would like to tell me, or must I guess?" he asked coyly. Pepper flushed, and Tony's chest puffed up with pride.

"We're having a baby," Pepper told him.

"I'm gonna be a dad! Me, a dad?" Tony exploded.

"The Realms will never be the same again," Loki joked warmly. "Congratulations, my friends. I am pleased for you."

"Yeah, well it'll be your turn soon enough," the Iron Man retorted. "I can already hear the pitter-patter of mini Lokis and Janes already."

Children. Loki had thought of children, of course, and he had told Jane they would have them when he had told her what their life would be like. But when his world had so nearly collapsed around him, such thoughts had nearly been lost in the crushing darkness of his pain.

But Jane, stubborn, intractable, fiery, patient Jane, had pulled him back out of it again, and made that future a reality, albeit with a few alterations.

"Where is Jane?" Pepper asked, glancing around. "I can see Darcy over there but…"

"She'll be along shortly," Loki explained. "I believe Mother was determined to make her look like the Queen she will shortly be tonight."

* * *

Suddenly a proud trumpet blared, and everyone quietened. With a nod of farewell, Loki left his mortal friends and allies to go to his place at the high table, seated beside his father one the right, an empty place beside him for Jane. He inclined his head to Sif, rigid and stony-faced in her black dress on the All-Father's other side. He nodded politely to the All-Father, as he waited for his bride to appear from the doorway with his mother.

They entered together, mortal and Aesir, and Loki caught his breath. His mother was always beautiful, gowned in a dark red purple dress threaded with diamonds and amethysts, her flaxen curls falling down her back.

But it was Jane who held Loki's eye, and the eyes of everyone in the feasting hall. She stood tall, queenly, her head held high as she descended the steps with Frigg, her slender form swathed in a beaded white dress, the sleeves opening up at the elbows to reveal long, rippling under sleeves in shining silver. The dress's scooped neckline revealed only the graceful lines of her collarbone and neck, her caramel hair draping her back in soft waves. Loki could see diamonds twinkling in their curls.

He stepped forward to meet her, taking her hand and kissing it. "My lady," he breathed. "Jane, you are a vision tonight."

"I see what you meant about your mother," she told him with a grin. "She's scary when she's determined."

Loki laughed at that, a joyful, free laugh that no one had ever heard from him before. It made many stare, and others frown in surprise, except for Frigg, the Avengers and Fandral, standing beside his own betrothed and mother.

He took her hand, leading her to her place beside him. The All-Father inclined his head, to which Jane returned it as gracefully as she could, before he raised a finely wrought golden cup.

"Tonight, we welcome the arrival of the warriors and leaders of Midgard. We celebrate their victory and unwavering strength in the face of trials and horrors that no Aesir has ever faced," he began, his voice carrying effortlessly over the great hall. "I raise my cup to them, and decree that they and theirs shall always be welcome on Asgardian soil."

The company drank as the All-Father did, but he did not lower his cup. "We also welcome two more, to join the ranks of the Aesir. Two women who have proven their courage and their worthiness, and are to be bound in marriage to our race. The Lady Darcy, betrothed of Fandral the Dashing," he inclined his head to the couple, standing hands entwined, Darcy in a golden dress embroidered with tiny flowers, and everyone drank to them. "And the Lady Jane, to be wed to my son and heir, Loki the Cunning, three weeks hence. May their unions be long, felicitous and harmonious, until the end of all things."

"To the Prince and the Lady Jane," the crowd chorused, and the All-Father finally lowered his cup. Her face as red as a tomato, Jane shot Loki a narrow glare as he tried to conceal his laughter.

"Oh shut up," she hissed as they sat down. "You've been stared at all your life, it's easy for you. You're used to it."

"You did wonderfully, Jane," he assured her smilingly. "Although I do believe that I have never seen anyone's face turn quite so violent a shade of red-"

He was abruptly cut off by the feel of Jane's hand on his leg, sliding up the taut muscle. "You can shut up now," she retorted airily. "Don't forget, I have a weapon against that silver tongue of yours now."

"Ahh, but as you told the Lady Sigyn, you like my silver tongue," he murmured in her ear.

"Not when it's teasing me so evilly," Jane muttered quietly, slapping his hand away as it returned her teasing on her own leg. "In public, remember!"

Loki chuckled, leaning back as an attendant stepped forward to place platters of meat, bread, cheese and fruit before them. "Liar," he murmured smoothly.

"I guess I had a good teacher then," Jane returned lightly, popping a grape into her mouth. Loki's eyes lingered on her lips and throat, and he uneasily wondered exactly what he had created. Then he smiled.

He was going to enjoy the next few thousand years.


	31. If You'll Be My Light

At The Beginning

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'Rose Garden' from 'Becoming Jane', 'Be My Light' from 'Camelot' and 'Now We Are Free' from 'Gladiator' (although I listened to the version by Lisa Kelly).

* * *

'_And if the world,_

_Should fall to winter,_

_I'll be your warmth,_

_I'll be your warmth._

_If you'll be my light,_

_If you'll be my light._

_And if the skies ,_

_Should cloud to darkness,_

_I'll be your sun,_

_I'll be your sun,_

_If you'll be my light,_

_If you'll be my light.'_

_**- Excerpt from 'Be My Light' from 'Camelot'**_

* * *

If anyone had told Jane she would be standing in a golden hall draped with navy silks and white flowers that resembled Midgardian lilies but with a delicate golden tracing over the petals, in a dress out of her wildest dreams, at the side of a handsome and powerful Norse God/fiancé…

She would have told them they were mad before borrowing Darcy's taser.

But that was where she was, in the robes of a princess, her hair swept up and pinned, the smooth tresses threaded with pearls.

The dress clung to her figure, recovered from the trials of the war after a year, the crimson under gown embroidered with silver, covered by a black velvet gown, sleeveless so the long red velvet swept down her arms to flare from her wrists. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to the sleeves. She had, however, long got used to the familiar simmer of magic in her veins, ever ready to jump to her command.

She caught the eye of Frigg, gowned in glittering gold and silver, and smiled at her future mother-in-law, stood at the head of the room, Fandral at her side in regal silver armour and midnight blue robes. Frigg's eyes shone as they fell on her son and his bride-to-be, in just two days hence.

Warm breath gently washed over the planes of Jane's exposed throat as Loki bent his head to whisper in her ear.

"You know," he chuckled, sending shivers down Jane's spine. "I do not think I have ever seen Fandral look this green in my entire life."

"You should have seen Darcy earlier," Jane replied. "She was almost _**emerald**_."

"I did order a horse to be saddled and waiting, if Fandral needed the -" he began, but she elbowed him soundly in the side, wincing slightly as it came into contact with his armour.

"That is not funny, Loki!" she hissed. His quiet chuckle was clear evidence he didn't feel remorseful in the slightest.

"I see your lady is keeping you in line, my Prince," Volstagg and Tony appeared on one side of them, with the Iron Man looking handsome and dashing in a red tunic and black trousers, the polished boots shining. The four chuckled, as Loki's grin turned wicked.

"It is only temporary," he assured them, as Jane shot a scandalised glare at him. "I will gain my revenge soon enough."

"Don't bet your helmet on it," she retorted.

"Good luck with that one, big fella," Tony snorted, clapping Loki on the shoulder. "You're going to need it."

"I resent that," Jane turned her glare on Tony, who laughed and mock recoiled. "_**I'm**_ the one marrying the God of Mischief!"

"If that's your best 'Queenly' glare, Asgard had better watch out," he muttered jokingly. "And it's your own fault, so quit complaining."

As Volstagg waded back into the conversation, bantering with Tony, Loki leaned down once more, his lips brushing against Jane's ear teasingly.

"Oh, my lady, I assure you," he breathed, his hand tightening around hers. "My revenge will come, and it will be extremely _**thorough**_."

Jane closed her eyes, fighting back the shivers, fighting down the inevitable unfurling of her magic when Loki did this. Just two days left…

"Ahem," Tony's violently cleared throat brought her back to herself as her eyes snapped open, her cheeks flaming red as she caught his amused, wicked expression. "If you two have finished the pillow talk, I think I'd better go and check on the bride."

"And I think our dear friend needs some…reassurance," Volstagg announced, a beaming smile showing through his beard.

"No sneaking off, you two," Tony called over his shoulder, as he hurried from the hall. Jane groaned, turned her head and buried it in Loki's shoulder, feeling him chuckle.

"If anyone was a contender for the new God of Mischief, it'd be Tony," she sighed. She felt Loki's fingers on her chin, tilting it up to his, his thumb caressing down her jaw, his emerald eyes smouldering.

"Oh my love," he grinned wolfishly. "I can assure you no one can contend with me in that sphere, as you can attest…"

"Oh, I don't know," Jane smiled back, teasingly. "I'm still not convinced of your superiority in that sphere, you may have to prove your prowess further…"

"You torturing woman," he growled quietly. "Rest assured, come our wedding night, I will do just that and more."

His eyes flamed now, and Jane felt every cell in her body respond, as she glared at him censoriously. "Loki, we're in public," she hissed, turning back to face the front, determinedly placing her arm in his. When she felt his lips just barely graze her nape, she stiffened. "Stop it!" she hissed, Loki's laughter threatening to cause more shivers as he covered her hand with one of his.

"Never," he growled back. Jane rolled her eyes.

Finally the waiting seemed to be over, as the gentle music of a flute began to echo around the chamber, joyous and haunting. Jane met the eyes of the Midgardian delegation, particularly Maria, Natasha, Clint and Pepper, all of whom grinned and nodded back, before their eyes went to the archway, where Tony stood in place of Father of the Bride, a little tradition they had brought with them from Earth.

And on his arm was Darcy.

She was radiant in a gown of white and ivory lace, delicate and intricate, the white fabric clinging to every curve. Her long dark hair was unbound, spilling over her shoulders and back in loose mahogany curls, restrained only briefly by a circlet made of gold, the looping and curving golden stems crowned with leaves, stark against the dark of Darcy's hair, as it dropped a single sapphire onto her forehead.

"The bridal crown," Loki whispered, bending his head to Jane's, and she tilted hers slightly in his direction to listen. "It represents a bride's purity, and fertility. It will only be removed tonight, by Fandral, in their bedchamber."

"She looks beautiful," she replied, sending him a slightly repressive look out the corner of her eye. She didn't want to think about Darcy and Fandral on their wedding night.

She'd much rather be thinking of her own.

Loki caught her eye, saw the heat there and pushed aside the rising feelings of desire, as he smiled and looked back to Fandral, whose green face had faded back to its ruddy perfection, as he smiled at his bride.

* * *

Tony and Darcy reached Frigg and Fandral, where Tony then ceremoniously laid his charge's hand into Fandral's, clasping them together before he stepped back and took his place beside Pepper.

Frigg stepped forward, and everyone stilled, as the graceful Queen of Asgard opened her mouth, a long, red velvet cord hung between her hands.

"Marriage is a binding state," she began, holding up the cord as Fandral clasped Darcy's wrist and she his. "It is eternal and it is inescapable, and is not to be entered into lightly. But when entered into with love…then it becomes the most blissful of all states of existence."

She wound it round and round their interlocked wrists and hands, tying them together; as Fandral and Darcy looked to her, she smiled joyfully.

"Fandral Faralson, I have watched thou grow from boy to man to warrior. Are thou ready to become a husband, protector and lover to this woman?"

"I am," Fandral replied with certainty, as he tore his gaze from Frigg and looked into Darcy's shining brown eyes. Jane smiled mistily, as Darcy blushed, her smile every bit as wide and happy as her new husband's. "I solemnly swear to protect, to love and to cherish this woman until the end of all things."

"Darcy, daughter of Patrick, thou have fought through monstrous odds to see this day," Frigg addressed the bride. "Are thou ready to take this man as thine husband, thine protector and lover, and to reciprocate in turn?"

"Yeah…I mean, yes, I am," Darcy replied, stuttering slightly. Frigg smiled, as she reached out her hands and placed them on the couple's heads gently, lovingly.

"Then go forth into your joined lives, as not two apart but one together, and with my blessing," she told them. Then, she laughed and the sound echoed like the drops of a thousand spring rains. "This is the part where I believe Midgardians say you may kiss the bride."

"I like that part," Fandral joked, reaching out with his free hand and pulling Darcy into his arms. Applause broke out as the couple kissed enthusiastically, ribald comments flying from the men as the kiss dragged on.

Jane laughed and rolled her eyes at a few of the suggestions Tony, Clint and Volstagg were shouting.

Children rushed up, tossing handfuls of white petals over the still kissing couple, until they finally broke the embrace, laughter of their own spilling out over the crowd of friends and family.

They unwound the red cord and Fandral slid a simple gold ring onto Darcy's hand, and she did the same, then they turned and faced the crowd, husband and wife.

Frigg once more called out for silence, as the well-wishers stepped back, and she presented an amber silk wrapped gift to Darcy.

"For you, my dear," she explained. "So you may have a long, and fruitful, life with your love."

The word 'fruitful' was accompanied with a secretive wink as Darcy blushed. Jane knew what was in the gift: a Golden Apple, to give Darcy the long life, strength and youth of an Aesir.

She smiled, and fought her way through the crowd to embrace her friend, wiping away tears as Fandral and Loki clasped arms.

"Why do women always cry at weddings?" Fandral asked, utterly at sea as he stared at the two women.

"Shut up!" Darcy replied, jokingly. "Just because men are emotionally backward."

Loki rolled his eyes, but privately he suspected that the tears he saw in Darcy and Jane's eyes were not just ones of joy, but tempered by sorrow for all they had lost.

He knew Jane and Darcy missed Erik greatly, and not even having Tony step in to walk her down the aisle, as the Midgardian saying went, would make up for that. Silently, he swore to spend every waking moment ensuring that the sorrow never took over the joy, and as he looked back to Fandral, he saw the same understanding and promise in his sapphire orbs.

They nodded, a silent, shared vow, even as others swept up to congratulate the bride and groom.

* * *

There was a great feast later that day, lasting into the night as the assembled company revelled and laughed and danced.

Eventually Darcy and Fandral retired, to much ribald commentary and jokes, as well as cheers as he swept her into his arms and carried her out the feasting hall.

Jane laughed and waved as Darcy was carried off, the latter poking her tongue out at her over her husband's shoulder.

Jane felt a familiar presence press itself against her back, and smiled as Loki's arms slid around her waist, pulling her back against him.

"I should really go to bed," Jane murmured, as warm lips pressed against her neck. "Your mother is expecting me early to go over some last minute details for the wedding."

Loki sighed heavily. Unlike Fandral and Darcy, their wedding was to be far less personal and private. In two days, they would be married before the whole of Asgard, and the delegations from the Nine Realms, and then crowned King and Queen of Asgard.

He could barely believe it himself, not after that dark day, after Thor died at Morgana's hand, after he learned his true birth in the worst way possible…

His grip tightened, and Jane stroked his arm soothingly, her touch burning him even through his bracers and leather tunic, her magic reaching out to soothe him.

"Stop thinking about it," she whispered. "It is in the past, it doesn't matter anymore."

He sighed and forced himself to adhere to the wisdom in her words, his little mortal, soon to be a Queen of the Aesir.

"Come," he breathed. "I will see you back to your chambers."

He nodded to his mother as they left the hall, her gaze twinkling knowingly as she watched her son and his chosen bride leave.

* * *

The halls of the palace were darkened slightly, empty of all except those on guard as the couple swept down the corridors. Jane was sure she would never be able to find her way on her own.

She vaguely recognised a pillar outside her rooms, when Loki's arm tightened around her waist and pulled her into a small alcove, swinging her against the wall. Her protest was covered by his lips, as he bent and kissed her heatedly, hands moulding her to him tightly. His magic reached for hers, a wave of fire rushing over her skin.

She moaned and kissed him back, pressing herself against him as much as she could, relishing his uncontrolled groan.

It had been so different when they had been on Earth. She had felt, and still felt, no shame about sleeping with Loki, but here on Asgard, things were a little different. They had to wait.

Jane forced herself to remember that as he pressed his lips to her neck, his hand sliding into her hair to ruffle the smooth style, as she gasped.

"Just two more days, love," she breathed. "Just two more days."

"I know," his voice was throaty, husky with lust as he raised his head to meet her eyes, leaning his forehead on hers. "You cannot blame me, after a year spent apart, for wanting to have you in my arms every moment of every day from now on."

"I love you," she smiled happily, inwardly wondering how she could ever have contemplated refusing this, refusing him, to stay on Earth. She needed him more than she needed to breathe.

"As I love you, dearest," he murmured, pressing his lips to hers one last time, before reluctantly letting her go. "Now, go before I lose what little control I have left."

Jane just smirked impishly, testing that control almost to breaking point as she slipped from his arms and into her rooms. As she closed the door behind her, she slumped against it, her breath shuddering from her as she laughed.

Only two days left.

* * *

_**A/N: **_The wedding ritual used in this chapter and following chapters is loosely based on the little I could find about Viking Wedding rituals and the Pagan ritual of hand fasting.

The bridal crown was traditionally made of flowers, unless of course it was a wealthy or noble born bride, and was removed by the bridegroom in the bridal chamber as a symbol of the 'deflowering' that was to occur. There are no sources telling us if there was a specific outfit or colour for Viking brides to wear but I decided to give them white as a nice, little tradition they brought from Midgard.

Also as Frigg was the equivalent of a Goddess of Marriage, she is used here in a priest capacity. She was usually invoked at the wedding ceremony, and in the bridal chamber as a goddess of fertility. The words, however, are my own.


	32. Heart To Heart

At The Beginning

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'Sons Of Odin' from 'Thor', 'Evenstar' from 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers' and 'The Portrait' from 'Titanic'.

* * *

'_Other things may change us, but we start and end with family'_

_**- Anthony Brandt **_

'_Love is like the truth. Sometimes it prevails, sometimes it hurts.'_

_**- Victor Garcia Jnr**_

'_Where there is love, there is pain.'_

_**- Spanish Proverb**_

* * *

A figure in gleaming silver armour walked swiftly along the corridor, amber coloured drapes shifting gently in the warm breeze from the ocean of Asgard, lifting the edges of his navy blue cloak trimmed with silver, ruffling his honey golden hair as he approached a tall figure in elegantly wrought armour, his emerald green cloak billowing as he walked up and down the long hall, before a flickering flame set in a wide, ceramic bowl, the light of the fire reflecting off the long, curved planes of his horned helmet.

"There you are!" Fandral exclaimed. "At last. I thought you'd vanished off again, everyone is waiting."

Loki sighed as he turned to meet his old friend. His eyes were contemplative, sad as he looked around the hall.

"Do you realise, Fandral, that the last time I was in this hall, I stood beside Thor, waiting for his coronation?" he murmured. "How things have changed."

Fandral's levity faded, but he still smiled. "Do you fear taking the throne?" he asked, curiously.

"Not so much fear, as…uncertainty," Loki replied. "So much has changed, and I with it, that I am no longer as certain as I once was. Thor was always so certain, even when he was at his most infuriating, and I wonder now if I am not any more ready to be King than he was."

"I'm not sure anyone is really ready to be a King," Fandral replied. "but I think you are, and the people certainly do."

Loki smirked, chuckling mirthlessly. "The people only accept me because there is no other," he replied.

Fandral frowned, swiftly turning to his friend. "Do not be so cynical, my friend. In the past year, you have shown your ingenuity, your strength and your leadership in the rebuilding of Asgard. Tales already abound about your deeds on Midgard. Do not look down on your deeds as mere trifles, my friend, because they are not. You are not in Thor's shadow anymore."

Loki shook his head, but smiled nonetheless. "Thank you, Fandral. Tell Mother I will be along shortly."

Fandral bowed and slipped from the hall, leaving Loki in solitude once more, or so he had thought.

"Loki," a familiar, not entirely desired, voice spoke from behind him, as the Prince turned to face Odin All-Father, swathed in red and gold, Gungnir resting in his hand.

"Father," he inclined his head civilly enough. Loki had not had much private conversation with his adoptive father in the year since Thor's death and the revelation of Loki's true birth. The wounds from the lies Odin had fed him all his life were still too raw for anything beyond civility.

But even he had to admit that Jane's words to him when he had fled Asgard to her side, that Laufey may have given him life but it was Odin who loved and raised him, Frigg who taught him and cherished him, and so were his true parents, were all too true. Maybe one day, father and son might reconcile but that day was still too far off to be seen.

"I overheard your conversation with Fandral," Odin began. Loki's brow rose, even as he mentally readied himself for whatever lecture he was about to receive.

"You always taught me eavesdropping was low and cowardly," he snapped, harshly. Odin merely smiled.

"My son, for so you will always be to me no matter how long your anger towards me burns," he began. "I came merely to speak to you one last time, before you become King and claim your Queen, and what I have to say is this: I love you and I am unspeakably proud of you. I always have been, and I am sorry for all that I failed to tell you in the long years of your life. I cannot imagine what bitterness and anger must rest inside your heart, but I beg of you, do not allow it to rule your future…"

"That is not my intention," Loki replied, his voice slightly strained. A heavy weight had come to rest in his chest, and his hands curled into fists.

"Then know this," Odin stepped close, clasping Loki's shoulder with one hand. "When you walk into the throne room, and hear the roar of the crowds, know that it is for _**you**_. When you take your bride's hand, know it is for _**you**_, when you kneel and take the Oath of Kings, know it is all for _**you**_, my son. Know that, and doubt not your value in the eyes of Asgard, your friends, your bride, your mother and _**I**_. I love you, Loki."

Loki could not speak as Odin squeezed his shoulder, his eyes fogged by a sudden blur of tears, as the All-Father turned away and began to leave the hall, leaving his second son behind, feeling like a child all over again.

"Thank you," he finally managed to whisper, causing Odin to pause on the threshold of the hall. "Father."

As Odin left, Loki inhaled deeply, feeling that weight lift from his chest, and the numbness that had existed inside of him since that black day ease, if only slightly.

Time, and love, would heal all wounds.

* * *

With a deep breath, he followed his father, sweeping from the lonely hall and stepping out into the golden throne room, almost deafened as the crowd clapped and cheered, white petals raining down on him as he paced down the long aisle made by the Royal Guard, their spears raised into an arch above their heads. He conjured the Sceptre of the tesseract into his hand, smiling proudly as he met the gazes of his friends and family, stood on the steps of the dais.

Fandral in all his glory, Hogun and Volstagg below him, and to the right Frigg and Tony waited, the mortal resplendent in silver armour, a gift from Odin himself. As he glanced towards the Midgardian delegation, he saw all the men attired thus, looking more like Aesir warriors than human soldiers, scientists and politicians, and the women dressed like ladies of the court, demure and beautiful. He met their gazes and inclined his head respectfully, as he mounted the steps, and waited for his bride to come.

* * *

On the other side of the palace, Jane sat in her chambers, staring at herself in the mirror. She barely recognised herself.

Her long, chestnut brown hair was hanging down her back, in loose curls, a few tighter, smaller ones framing her face, which glowed. A long veil, again not an Asgardian tradition but one Jane had brought with her from Earth, covered her naked back, the top hanging down low enough that it did not cover her hair.

Darcy, now Lady Darcy of the House of Faralson, stood behind her, fixing the veil to her hair with a few pins. Her skin still shone with the radiance of the Golden Apples, her eyes twinkling, her lithe body clad in a loose midnight velvet gown embroidered with silver, the long, translucent sleeves of the same iridescent shade. Her luxuriant mahogany curls were pinned up this time, except for one trailing curl lying against her neck.

Focusing on her reflection once more, Jane took deep breaths.

"You ok, Jane?" Darcy asked, frowning slightly as she watched her friend's reflection. Jane's beautiful features were pensive, dark considering it was her wedding day.

"I'm fine," she protested, before abruptly turning to her friend. "Actually, Darcy, could I just have a minute? I'll be along in a moment."

"Sure," the now Aesir lady replied, smiling gently. "Just don't take too long, or Loki might have a heart attack."

"Hah, as if Aesir can even have heart attacks," Jane scoffed, covering her unease with good-natured joking until Darcy slipped from the room. As soon as the door closed, she buried her head in her hands, not noticing another presence slipping into her rooms.

"What am I doing?" she sighed tremblingly. "I'm not Queen material! I've really put my foot in it this time…"

"On the contrary, I think you are exactly the Queen this Realm needs," a gentle, husky voice contradicted her, as she jumped and spun in her seat, to find Sif, onyx hair unbound and wavy, her lithe warrior's body enshrouded in a modest gown of gentle silver.

Jane had not had many encounters with the former Queen, soon to be Princess, since she seemed to spend most of her time locked in her room, or at Thor's mausoleum, and even then, she usually wore mourning black.

"Your Highness," she babbled. "I'm sorry; I didn't hear you come in."

"Fret not, my lady," Sif breathed, coming forward into the light, so Jane could see she bore a wrapped box in her hands. "I come with a gift, and with support, if you need it."

Jane's polite façade crumpled, as she sat back down heavily. "I don't know if I can do this," she admitted. "I mean, look at me! I'm not a Queen, I'm just a little astrophysicist from Earth, I-"

Sif clapped her hand over Jane's mouth, cutting her off abruptly, her eyes twinkling with more amusement than she had ever seen in the austere warrior woman before. "Loki did always say how hard you were to shut up," she sighed. "Now, if you will listen to someone who has _**considerably**_ more years in their cup than yourself?"

Jane nodded, unable to speak.

"Jane," Sif began, kneeling before her. "I do not pretend to look upon this day without sorrow, for only two years before I watched my love and husband ascend to the throne. It carries many sorrowful memories for me, as well as ones of pride and joy. I would be lying if I told you that your arrival was welcomed by all in Asgard, just as not all welcomed the ascension of Loki to the throne, but now…We can no longer claim superiority over any human, not when we have never faced the same odds that you have done, and not only survived but defeated them. _**You**_ helped Loki to unlock the secrets of the tesseract, _**you **_almost sacrificed your life to save his, _**you **_assisted in the defeat of Amora and Morgana, _**you**_ sacrificed your happiness to help rebuild your planet…are those the actions of an ordinary mortal astrophysicist?"

Jane looked down, blushing.

"And you sat by Thor until the end," Sif continued sadly. "You ensured he clung on to life long enough for him to say goodbye to me, and to his brother. For that I owe a great debt of thanks to you. I have not known you long, but I would look upon you as my sister from this day forward."

"I would be glad to, Sif," Jane smiled, through her tears as Sif unwrapped the box. The warrior princess smiled, her eyes suspiciously bright.

"Then as sisters, I give you a gift, as it was given to me by Queen Frigg," she explained, opening the box to reveal an exquisite platinum circlet, the creamy gold looping and arching in intricate swirls that ended in woodland leaves, dotted with tiny emeralds. The circlet sunk into a sharp 'V', dropping a single, perfect emerald from its apex.

The bridal crown of the Queens, handed down from mother to daughter-in-law since the Great Beginning. It had once been Frigg's, and then Sif's, and now Jane's, until her eldest son took a bride.

"I had it reset for you," Sif murmured, as she stood and stepped around Jane, settling it onto her head, readjusting the veil around it. "Frigg had it set with rubies for me, but I thought emeralds would be best for you."

Jane's eyes filled with tears, as she caught Sif's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Thank you," she breathed. Sif dropped a kiss onto her head, lingering there before she straightened and stepped back.

"Come," she called. "Let us not keep your husband waiting any longer…my Queen."

Jane stood, the skirts of her gown _shushing_ as she moved, and for the first time, the title of Queen did not send shivers of fear down her spine.


	33. Forever Yours

At The Beginning

Warnings: Sexual content.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: Section I: 'Only The Beginning Of The Adventure' from 'The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe', Section II: 'Arrival At Aslan's How' from 'The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian', Section III: 'You Are The Pan' from 'Hook'.

* * *

'_The streets shall all flock to your marriage; the houses turn round to look, _

_The tables and chairs say suitable prayers, and the horses drawing your carriage,_

_Sing agreeably, agreeably, agreeably of love' _

_**- 'Carry her over the water' by **__**W.H. Auden**_

_Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendour that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God's Grace and Mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen. _

_**- Queen Elizabeth II **_

_Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at it destination full of hope._

_**- Maya Angelou**_

* * *

Loki was all too aware of the stares boring into his back, as he stood on the dais, awaiting his bride. He forced himself not to fidget, and not to idly wonder if she was even coming…

He heard gasps and had to ignore the urge to turn, until he saw Fandral's jaw slacken in shock, and gave in.

And his own came dangerously close to falling.

Walking side by side with Darcy, radiant in midnight blue, was Sif, gowned in shining silver, the sheath-like dress trailing behind her like a river.

Whispers filled the throne room, even as Darcy and Sif reached the dais, bowing to the All-Father and to Loki, before they took their places, Darcy by her husband, Sif on the step between Tony and Frigg.

Before she turned aside to take her place, the former Queen smiled, just a little and inclined her head to her brother-in-law.

Then his eyes rose to the vision descending the steps of the throne room, glowing brighter than the sun, and his jaw really did drop.

Jane's wedding gown clung to every soft curve, a pearlescent silver collar holding it up around her neck. The rise of her shoulders was left bare, until the sleeves started from her elbows, trailing to the floor like the wings of a swan, checked only by shining silver bracers on her forearms, inlaid with intricate designs of vine leaves.

Her hair was loose, curled into soft waves that fell unchecked down her back, over the top of a gossamer thin veil, held in place by the bridal crown of the Queens, the stones changed to emeralds.

He glanced at Sif in silent thanks for her gift. Because of it, and of her gesture in not only attending but also walking with Darcy, any detractors of Jane's reputation would be silenced by the former Queen's support.

Jane glided down the room, the guard of honour holding their spears higher in respect for their future Queen, until at last, she reached him.

He held out his hand, as she mounted the steps of the dais, and she took it firmly, her eyes set on his, gleaming brightly, her smile joyous, infectiously so as he felt his own widen in return.

Wordlessly, he turned her to face him, their hands entwined.

"You look beautiful," he told her, longing and need roughening his voice as he spoke quietly to her, raising one hand, the hand that would soon bear his ring, to his lips and pressing a kiss to the soft skin.

Uncaring of the thousands of onlookers, Jane smiled wider. "This feels like a dream," she whispered. "I'm desperately hoping I never wake up."

If any doubted the love the couple bore for one another, their doubts were slain in that moment, as the whole of Asgard saw the passion and the devotion burning in their shared glance, before they turned their heads to face the Queen and the All-Father.

Odin struck the ground with Gungnir, the echoing blow silencing the throne room, as he stood from his throne and descended the first few steps.

"Loki Odinson," he began. "My dear son, I have watched you grow from boy to man. Through centuries of study and patience, you have become a master of magic and weapon alike. Your valour and courage have been proven beyond doubt, your deeds on Midgard now tales of legend, and now you stand before me, ready to become a husband and a King."

Jane felt Loki's hand tighten around hers, and she squeezed back, knowing how much his father's praise, delivered so publicly, meant to him, even if he still felt pain over Odin's lies.

Odin turned slightly, looking down on Jane and smiling gently. "Jane, daughter of Richard, I myself have seen through the eyes of Heimdall your deeds in the service of your Realm, as well as hearing accounts of them from others. Your strength, your courage and your intellect helped to save the Nine Realms from the evil of Morgana and Amora. That alone would be worthy of the highest reward, but also the love you bear for my son, the devotion you showed in your separation, and the sacrifice you made have raised you high, uniting our two Realms forevermore."

At that, Frigg stepped forward, the red cord of Binding in her hands as Loki and Jane turned to face one another again, hand clasping wrist, as Frigg twined the cord, symbolising the unity and eternity of their bond.

Jane could think of little else but the slender fingers gripping her wrist through her bracer, the hard, cold metal of his own beneath her fingers as Frigg spoke. She lost herself in Loki's eyes, shining, beaming, almost too intense to bear.

"Loki Odinson," Frigg said, her strong voice echoing over the throne room. "I have raised thee, loved thee and protected thee, and here thou stand today, a man, a King and a warrior. Are thou ready to take this woman as thy wife? To love, protect and to pledge fidelity to, until the end of all things?"

"I so pledge my fidelity, my love and my protection to thee, Jane Foster, daughter of Richard, of the Realm of Midgard," he replied, surely and without hesitation. His hand squeezed hers, and she smiled, snapping out of her trance as Frigg turned to her.

"Jane Foster, thine deeds and thine love will see thee become a Queen and an Aesir," she intoned solemnly. "Here thou stands today, on the threshold of eternity, which thine bravery and strength has made thee worthy of. Do thou pledge to take this man as thy husband? To love, to pledge fidelity to and to stand by in times of hardship as well as prosperity, until the end of all things?"

Jane inhaled deeply, knowing that she was about to step over the threshold of a crossroads, and then there would be no return. As she opened her mouth to reply, she waved goodbye to her old existence and welcomed in the new.

"I so pledge my fidelity, my love and my support to thee, Loki Odinson, Prince and heir of the Realm of Asgard."

"So have all ye here witnessed it!" Frigg called, as she unwound the cord. "This union of this man and this woman in perpetual and eternal marriage."

As soon as the red cord fell away, Loki called on his magic, conjuring a delicate ring of gold filigree and emeralds onto Jane's left ring finger. She smiled, and covered his left hand in hers, he felt the surge of her magic, and when she drew it away, a similar ring appeared on his finger.

Frigg smiled, crying freely as she raised her arms to them, and Loki pulled Jane into his arms and his kiss. The assembled crowd burst into applause and cheering once more, as the golden light of the Asgardian sun above shed its warmth over the new couple.

Jane kissed her new husband with all the passion and joy within her soul. Unlike Darcy and Fandral's wedding, there were no ribald comments as no one would dare to in front of the All-Father, but she dimly heard wolf-whistling, and she had a good idea who was doing the whistling.

She wrapped her arms around Loki's neck, as he only strained her closer, mouth pressing deep into hers, his hand warm on the bare skin of her back.

Eventually they drew apart, lips lingering mere inches away from each other, as Loki wiped away tears from his bride's face, unaware that tears had escaped from his own eyes.

Frigg stepped back with a motherly smile for both, as they turned once more to face the All-Father, as he once again smote the floor with Gungnir, and silence fell.

* * *

Silently, Jane's hand still in his, Loki knelt, his wife at his side, and slipped his helmet from his head, placing the Sceptre down reverently by his side.

"Loki Odinson," he began once more. "Jane Odinson, son and daughter of my heart, my heirs, wielders of the magic of the tesseract of Asgard, a power that has come to you through great trials, and is not to be used lightly. With this power you may destroy and you may build, a fit companion for a King, or Queen of Asgard, and with it as your servant, you shall be matchless."

"I have defended innocents across the Nine Realms since the time of the Great Beginning, and now I pass down this burden to you, my children," Odin continued, his voice firm, commanding. "Both of you have proven yourselves worthy of the burden and the privilege of ruling this Realm, and protecting the Nine Realms, and the day has come. Now you must take the Oath of Kings.

"Do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?" he asked them gravely as they both raised their heads solemnly.

"I swear," Loki replied.

"I swear," Jane murmured in turn.

"And do you swear to preserve the peace so hard fought for and sorely won?" Odin continued, and Jane felt Loki's hand tighten around her own.

"I swear!" they replied in tandem, earnestly.

"And do you swear to put aside selfish ambition for the good of Asgard and the Nine Realms?" Odin punctuated his last question with a _thud_ of Gungnir into the polished floor before his throne.

"I swear it," Loki vowed, his voice carrying commandingly across the crowded throne room, as Jane followed suit. The All-Father smiled and raised Gungnir high.

"Then on this day, Prince Loki Odinson and Princess Jane Odinson, I proclaim you King and Queen of Asgard!" he cried, before gesturing to them. "Rise and take up your seat, my King and Queen."

Loki and Jane stood, Loki's hand tightly holding Jane's as they ascended the stairs and Odin descended, so they met in the middle. The All-Father paused, smiling at them proudly. "Bless you, my children," he breathed. "Rule well."

He passed them, and Jane and Loki continued up the stairs to the throne, where they turned about and faced the crowd. Loki caught Jane's eye, and smiled as he held up the Sceptre, Jane placing her hand below his on the golden stem.

Together they held it up, and a burst of emerald and blue light erupted from its sharp point, as Odin's powerful voice carried over the hall one last time.

"Hail the King and Queen of Asgard! Hail!" he shouted, before sinking into a bow, Frigg, Sif, Darcy, Fandral and all the others following suit, crying "Hail!" as they did so.

Loki and Jane stood at the top of the throne, looking out over the people, _**their**_ people, and Jane felt at peace. No more fear, no more trepidation, just this.

Together, forever, and with a task to fulfil, that of protecting and caring for the peoples of the Nine Realms.

Loki lowered the Sceptre, its end striking the ground with a metallic _thud_, as silence fell once more.

"Over the past two years," he began. "We have suffered, we have fought and we have lost."

Jane glanced at Sif as he said this, but her face was unreadable.

"But we have triumphed," Loki continued. "We have pushed back and defeated those who would seek to destroy all that we love. We have ended the rule of tyranny, and restored peace to the Nine Realms, so let us go forward into this new age, renewed, unified and with _hope_ as we rebuild our worlds."

And with that, he sat down on the throne, gently pulling Jane down with him. She belonged with him, by his side now, forever.

As Jane looked out over her, _**their**_, new people, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she remembered all she had lost. Her parents and Erik never saw her walk down the aisle and marry a man she loved beyond anything. Erik never saw the fall of Morgana and the vindication of so many years of struggle and work. He never saw Asgard.

But as she glanced to her husband, who stroked her hand with his thumb soothingly, she smiled and knew that wherever he was, Erik would be proud.

* * *

Later that night, as the people feasted and revelled, Jane slipped from the celebrations in search of her husband, who had disappeared like a shadow into the night.

Her white gown glimmered, only outshone by the bridal crown she still wore, the gossamer strands of her veil skimming the floor along with her skirts as she passed along corridor after corridor.

She had an idea where Loki had slipped away to.

And there she found him, standing in front of Thor's marble, ship-shaped tomb, staring down at it and the silver shape of Mjolnir, resting on its surface, the moonlight and starlight silvering his dark hair, having dispensed with his helmet hours before.

He did not move but she knew he sensed her presence. She wordlessly went to his side, and leaned her head against his shoulder, pressing her lips once to his cloak.

They stood in silence, the only sounds that of the celebrations in the palace and the call of a nightingale in the forests outside the city walls. Jane offered her comfort, twining one hand in his, as he sighed heavily.

When he spoke, his voice was roughened by sorrow and pain. "I never wanted the throne, only to be his equal, in his eyes and in Father's," he murmured. Jane lifted her head as he turned his, their eyes meeting and holding. "And now I have it, but I would give almost anything to have Thor back."

"You were always his equal," Jane replied, reaching up to tuck away a loose strand of raven black hair. "_**You**_ were the only one who needed to realise that for it to truly matter. And he always saw you as his equal."

"I do not know if I can do this," Loki admitted, sounding young and so vulnerable as he looked away, once more to Thor's tomb. "Father suspects he will soon fall back into the Odinsleep, and then I will be alone."

"Never alone," Jane replied, moving around to stand before him, blocking his view of Thor's tomb. "You will always have me. I will never leave you."

"I'll hold you to that, my love," he murmured, a slight hint of a growl entering his tone as he reached out and pulled her into his arms. She shivered and lifted her lips for his kiss, moaning ecstatically when he took her mouth voraciously.

When they parted, both were breathless and yearning. "Come," Loki whispered. "There are still things to be done this night."

"I have a wedding gift for you," she breathed. "I'll give it to you later."

A wicked smirk grew on Loki's mouth. "I look forward to it."

And with that he pulled her away, leading her to his, now _**their**_, chambers.

* * *

Jane shivered as Loki's hand gently caressed up the bared ridge of her spine, as they stood in the centre of their bedchamber, the warmth of a fire keeping the chill from Jane's skin as she melted into her husband's embrace.

"Stop teasing, you fiend," she gasped, eying him narrowly as his fingers continued to play along the curve of her back and waist. His eyes twinkled laughingly.

"You forget, my bride, that I did promise a _**thorough**_ vengeance for all your tyranny these past weeks," he growled against her ear. "And this is only the start."

He reverently unhooked the veil from her long curls, laying it aside with care. Next, he raised his hands to her bridal crown, his gaze finding and holding hers intently, as she remembered what it represented.

He lifted it from her head, again laying it aside carefully, before stepping forward and pulling her into his arms. She moaned and pulled him against her, her hands already searching for the buckles of his armour, as he chuckled against her lips and pulled away.

"No, love," he whispered. "Allow me."

And with that, his armour dissipated, leaving him in just a loose shirt and breeches, as Jane eagerly ran her hands over his body, the heat in her palms reaching through the barriers of fabric and into Loki's skin, as he shuddered and pulled her against him, his hand already reaching for the hidden laces which held Jane's gown in place, his quick fingers undoing the clip of the collar, so it slid down her figure like liquid moonlight. Without another word, he reached down and swept her into his arms, laying her back on the furred coverlet of his bed.

Wordlessly, he reached to the side and pulled from the air a golden wrapped bundle, handing it to Jane with pleasure as her eyes went wide. Inside was one of the life-giving Golden Apples of Idunn, as her eyes met Loki's questioningly.

"Eat it," he told her. "Before I claim you as my wife."

Jane smirked, a particularly wicked smirk that tested Loki's withered control, and bit down into the soft, yellow flesh eagerly. The moan which escaped her lips hacked away at the chains holding his desire in check, but he just smiled as he drew apart the sides of his shirt and slipped it off, Jane's eyes widening as she ate.

"See something you like, love?" he asked mischievously, as her eyes raked his form. She just smiled again at his teasing, and then proceeded to draw out her own little game of torture, her moans of pleasure and pale form against the dark covers of his bed making him all the more desperate.

The moment the apple was devoured, he was on her in a moment, pressing her deep into the pillows, their mouths caressing heatedly as Jane moaned and willingly paid the price for her teasing, and Loki for his, their magic entwining and enflaming them as passion only rose higher. For one, infinitesimal, lingering moment, he paused, looking down on her, his Jane, his wife, forever bound to him, and smiled, his heart freer than it had been for years.

"Thank you," he whispered, as Jane gazed up at him, her body pressed to his on the furs. Her eyes searched his, before she smiled gently, reaching up to coax his lips back to hers. Loki needed no persuasion.

As they made love for the first time as husband and wife, King and Queen, the skies outside were lit afire by the light of emerald and sapphire fireworks, silver showers raining down upon the celebrating people of Asgard, matched only by the eternal light of the stars in the Asgardian sky.

The people raised their goblets to their new King and Queen, and rejoiced.

* * *

Hours later, Loki felt the bed dip as Jane left his arms. Frowning, but too relaxed to do much else, he called softly, "Darling, what are you doing?"

"I've got a wedding present for you," she replied quietly.

"I thought you'd already given it to me-" he murmured cheekily. She swiped his shoulder with her hand.

"Be quiet, or I won't give it to you," she murmured, and he sighed, opening his eyes to the sight of his gloriously unclothed wife, her skin still gleaming with the light of the consumed Apple. She smiled knowingly, testing his control, as she snapped her fingers and the dying fire roared back to life, illuminating the room with a soft, bronze glow. Wordlessly, she held out her hands, and Loki reluctantly left the warmth of the covers for her. She smiled, a hint of uncertainty in her eye, as she stepped close, the movement drawing a shudder from them both. "Change for me," she whispered against his lips, commandingly, like the Queen she now was.

Loki sighed, but gave in, allowing the Jotunn to suffuse his features. "I know you not afraid of this form, Jane. You need not do this to prove to me that you are not affected by my appearance-" he began reassuringly, when he stopped, dumbstruck.

Just as his skin had changed to blue, now so was hers. Like she had been dipped in paint, the azure hue spread from her hands and along her arms, slipping down her shoulders and over her breasts to her waist and down her legs. It crept up her neck, to her face, Jane's eyes closed tightly as if in concentration. Markings like his appeared on her skin, and when she opened her eyes, they were crimson red. The caramel of her hair remained, but even that was tinted darker by her transformation.

Loki could feel her magic, the glamour she had woven over her body, but he was too stunned to speak.

"Is this form so very ugly in your eyes?" she breathed. "Because when I see you like this, my heart pounds faster, and my body feels like it's on fire. I want you to accept how beautiful you are, whatever colour your skin is. Do I look beautiful to you?"

Beautiful? She was a Goddess in sapphire glory, like she was made of living ice and gems, except when he touched her, she was warm. Like the blue flames of her magic.

His blood roared within him, a more primal side of him emerging at the sight of her, every inch a female Jotunn, standing bare and unafraid in front of him, coolly awaiting his judgement.

How could anyone call her ugly like this? He was suddenly very glad they were alone, because he was loath to share her beauty with anyone else right now. His incredible, beautiful, astounding Jane.

He pulled her to him roughly, lowering his lips to hers, possessively kissing her for all he was worth, relishing her moans as his arms enfolded her, and their bodies met.

Sapphire to sapphire.

He drew her knee up to his hip, moaning at the new contact, before lifting her fully and throwing her down beneath him on the bed. As she arched, her hands in his hair and clawing at his back, she gasped her words.

"Do you see now? Do you understand?"

If she felt half of what he was feeling right then…he raised his head, the red flames in his eyes fading slightly, as his touch gentled. "My Jane," he murmured, like she was the most wondrous thing in all the Nine Realms. "Mine."

"Yours," she breathed. "I love you, Loki."

"As I love you, my wife, my Queen, my soul," he kissed her once tenderly, before the caress deepened in one heated rush, as Jane gladly returned his rough passion. It seemed the magic sensitised her skin even more, and every brush of the fur coverlet and every possessive glide of Loki's hands felt like they were setting her skin afire.

* * *

Later, he watched as the blue faded from her skin, as she sank at last into exhausted slumber in his arms, and he let the hue of his own skin fade too. As he pressed a kiss to her shoulder, pulling the coverlet over her and settling her against him, he smiled.

He was the luckiest man in the Nine Realms, and he would spend every day of their considerably long lives ensuring he remained worthy of her. Trials would come, he had no doubt of that, and sometimes there would be black days. There was darkness in his soul, and he was still troubled by his origins, but after tonight…

Perhaps he could accept himself.

He smiled as he remembered the play of the firelight over Jane's sapphire skin, and lazily closed his eyes, holding his wife to him. Perhaps they should try it again, one night.


	34. Epilogue: At The Beginning

At The Beginning

Warnings: None but unashamed, quite possibly horrendously clichéd, fluff.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Playlist: 'Tenuous Winners/Returning Home' from 'The Hunger Games Original Score' and 'Adiemus' by Adiemus.

* * *

_He lives in you,_

_He lives in me,_

_He watches over,_

_Everything we see._

_Into the water,_

_Into the truth,_

_In your reflection,_

_He lives in you._

_**- 'He Lives In You' by Lebo M, from the Lion King II: Simba's Pride.**_

* * *

Loki, King of Asgard, was jolted from his remembrances by a familiar presence at his shoulder.

"Hiding, are we?" a teasing voice asked, and he glanced over his shoulder to find Fandral the Dashing, his golden hair and beard gleaming in the light of the torches, resplendent in his full armour, standing at his side. One fine, dark brow rose superciliously, eliciting a chuckle from his old friend.

"A King never hides, Fandral. He merely observes," Loki replied lightly. The warrior rolled his eyes.

"Of course you do," he muttered. Both lapsed into silence as they stood and watched their families, their minds full of that terrible day, when they lost Thor, when they thought they would lose their loves, their home and their futures.

It had bound them as close as brothers, in the end. Fandral was Loki's most trusted General and adviser, and the warrior looked upon his King as more than just a liege lord. He was his friend.

They had fought together, bled together for millenia, and then suffered together through that interminably long year between leaving Midgard and returning to claim their loved ones forever.

But it had all been worth it, in the end.

Loki eyed the graceful, blooming form of Lady Darcy, clearly pregnant and ready to burst. Her full stomach jutted from her body, draped lovingly in turquoise silk, girt with silver.

"So, what chance it will be another girl?" he asked Fandral, who groaned. Loudly.

"Please do not wish that upon me," he sighed, making Loki chuckle. "I am outnumbered enough as it is!"

"Who would have thought it?" Loki scoffed teasingly. "Fandral the Dashing, famed lover and seducer of the Nine Realms, outwitted and outmanned by four little women?"

"Who needs an army when they can have Darcy talk them to death? As for Eir and Mist… I fear they have been spending too much time with their godfather on Midgard." Fandral replied jokingly. "And just look at you, my King. Never have I seen so strong and unyielding a will swayed by so sweet and cunning a smile as your Queen's."

"I would watch your tongue if I were you, Fandral," Loki warned, but there was no venom in his voice. At that moment, their children spotted them and Thor, Loki's eldest, pointed triumphantly.

"PAPA!"

"Oh, no. Now we're in for it," Fandral breathed, as the six children rushed into the shaded veranda where they had been standing, followed closely by their wives and Frigg.

Fandral and Darcy's three daughters, Eir, Kára and Mist, all rushed towards their father, collided with him and pinned him to the floor, their golden hair mingling as they fought with their father. Eir's was like a delicate, almost silvery platinum mass of curls, while Kára's was a fine, strong, straight honey gold like her father's. Mist's was yellow, and hung in long waves, as she peered triumphantly into her father's face from her perch atop his chest.

"Got you, Papa!" she shrieked happily. Fandral looked to Loki pleadingly, the King just laughing and backing away as his own offspring crashed towards him.

"Oh, no. I'm not battling three such formidable warriors," he called, as Fandral wrestled with his children.

"Coward! But watch yourself! Your own reckoning approaches," Fandral replied tauntingly as Thor, Erik and little Hela thundered towards him. Loki just smiled.

The three royal children crashed through their father's form, as it wavered then disappeared. Loki smiled from behind a pillar, as the three children looked up confused.

Then they too vanished.

And Loki felt the tugging on his cloak, as he turned around to find his three children waiting behind him, identical smiles of satisfaction on their childish faces. They pounced and he allowed himself to collapse under their combined weights, taking him to the floor.

"Now, you rascals!" he managed to get Erik in a gentle headlock, while Thor laughed and promptly sat on his legs. Hela simply sat herself down on his chest, prim and with all the regal disdain she had inherited from her father, and proudly pronounced.

"Caught you, Daddy."

Loki laughed, and looked beseechingly towards his wife, as Jane laughed at his and Fandral's predicament. "A little help here would be appreciated!" he called pointedly. Jane, Frigg and the heavily pregnant Darcy just laughed and shook their heads.

"I wouldn't want to confront three such formidable warriors," she called back tauntingly, throwing his words back at him. "You're on your own, love."

"Let that be a warning to you two," Darcy added. "This is what happens when you disappear off for two whole months!"

Fandral heaved himself to his feet, Eir and Mist hanging from his arms, while Kára latched onto his leg. He awkwardly scuttled over to Darcy, eliciting still more laughter from the three ladies, and pressed his lips to his wife's.

Which elicited exactly the response he had been hoping for.

"EWWW!" Eir wrinkled her nose, letting go of her father's arm immediately. Kára quickly followed suit, face twisted with disgust.

"Get a room!" she muttered, as little Mist just blinked up at her embracing parents. Fandral sighed as he drew away from his wife.

"They're sounding more like Earth children every day," he muttered. "I wonder who they learned that sort of language from?"

He glared pointedly at Darcy, who tried and failed to look innocent, as she pouted and drew her husband's lips back to hers.

* * *

Jane laughed as the three girls rushed back outside, away from their amorous parents, before turning her eyes to her still wrestling spouse and children.

"Come, my son," Frigg called, admonishingly. "Stop wrestling with your children. They'll be tired out before sunset at this rate."

As Loki stood, with little Hela still hanging onto his neck, burying her face in his shoulder length raven hair, Jane got the impression that was what he intended.

"Did you see what I did, father?" Erik demanded enthusiastically. "Did you see how I copied us and then teleported us behind that pillar?"

Loki smiled and ruffled his middle son's hair. "Well done, Erik. I see you've been practicing in my absence,"

"Hey, watch the hair!" Erik snapped disgustedly, smoothing down the unruly black locks with his hand. Loki's eyes narrowed; perhaps the children _**had**_ been spending too much time with their Godfather on Midgard.

Their Godfather, and Eir's, Kára's and Mist's, was Tony Stark. He really shouldn't be surprised.

"I helped too, Father," Thor put in, pouting slightly, drawing his father's attention away from the not necessarily benign influence of their Godfather. Loki placed a hand on both his sons' shoulders, and Jane felt her heart catch at the look of pride and love in his emerald eyes.

"You both did excellently," he told them. "Continue like that, and soon Asgard will have two of the finest sorcerers who ever lived!"

Erik and Thor laughed and whooped, before turning away and rushing out into the sunshine, after Eir, Mist and Kára. Hela lingered still, refusing to give up her chokehold on Loki's neck.

He took her weight in his arms, holding her close as she snuggled into his embrace.

"Missed you, Daddy," she whispered, ducking her head shyly. Loki pressed a kiss to her forehead, running a hand through her long, dark hair, before letting her down. All of his and Jane's children were dark-haired.

"I missed you too, dear one. Now go play outside with your brothers," he told her, coaxingly. Hela nodded and rushed outside, the skirts of her dress fluttering around her legs as she ran towards her brothers and friends. Frigg smiled gently at her second son, before gliding outside to join her grandchildren and godchildren, laughing at their antics as they played with Darcy and Fandral.

He glanced to his wife, her slender, soft form outlined by the light of the Asgardian sun. She was clothed in a gown of brilliant amethyst, the skirts clinging to her every curve, overlaid by a sheer blue robe, belted at the waist. Her wedding ring glinted in the light as she took his outstretched hand, her smile radiant, warming so he basked in it, as they turned to watch their children.

Wordlessly, Jane fell in beside Loki as he led her outside, standing in the shade of the terraced balcony, looking down on the happy scene before them.

A moment later, Jane sighed contentedly as Loki's arms came around her, hugging her back against him tightly. A heated beat of her heart later, she felt his lips against her neck, as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against his strong shoulder. The familiar feel of his mind and magic caressed hers once more, wrapping her in a warm, ethereal embrace.

"They've missed you so much. Erik and Thor have been bouncing off the walls to show off that trick," she told him, as he smiled into her neck.

"And I missed them too. But it seems that the new King of the Jotunns was far more amenable to diplomacy than his predecessor," Loki told her. He and Fandral were back far earlier than had been anticipated. "How have your studies progressed? I believe you were identifying three new stars before I left?"

"Try new star systems," Jane murmured excitedly. "We'll get to watch them develop and evolve. Who knows? Perhaps they might even develop life."

Loki smiled, shaking his head. "Seems like you did not miss me at all," he murmured lightly.

Jane didn't speak for a moment, before turning in her husband's arms.

"And I missed you too, darling," she added, smiling impishly, her elfish hands sliding up his armoured chest to pull his face close to hers, their lips brushing. Desire rose, white hot and searing in Loki's soul, as he tasted the warm musk of his wife's breath.

"Oh, you have no idea," he growled, relishing his wife's shiver before his lips completed the conquest, pressing against hers with the full force of his yearning.

He felt her trembling as he pressed her close to him, and frowned when their lips parted, the fog of desire lifted for a brief moment.

"Love, what's wrong?" he asked. Jane smiled, her amber eyes glowing with joy, as she looked up at him.

"I'm pregnant again," she told him. A breathless, warm smile spread across her husband's face, and he laughed, pulling her up into his arms, and spreading kisses across her face.

"How long?" he asked, when he deigned to put her down and stop his heated kissing. Jane, wits scrambled, tried to remember.

"Only a few months," she replied. "I went to the healers last week."

Loki's eyes narrowed, as he looked down on his wife and Queen. "There's something you're not telling me," he stated firmly. Jane rolled her eyes before a truly wicked smile lit her features.

"It's twin boys."

Loki groaned. "And I thought Thor and Erik were bad enough," he murmured, burying his face into Jane's now waist-length chestnut hair. Jane laughed.

"Well, they _**are**_ the children of the God of Mischief," she retorted, as he raised his head, and she saw how happy he really was.

"What say you to the idea of putting the children to bed early tonight, and taking our supper in our chambers?" he breathed, bending his head to just lightly brush her ear, drifting down her neck suggestively. "Our own celebration before we share this news with the court?"

"I think that's the best idea you've ever had," she murmured back, their eyes meeting heatedly.

As the sun warmed the royal couple, where they stood on the terrace, their lips met once more, like two planets gravitated towards one another, totally in harmony, and totally in balance.

Until Erik's conjured snake decided to make itself known, hissing around Jane's skirt hem. She shrieked and jumped, before laughing in her husband's arms, his own body trembling with mirth.

* * *

Sif looked from afar at the happy family scene, a perpetual sadness tingeing her flawless face. She was clothed in a dress of deep grey, still in mourning even eleven years after her husband's death, and her long onyx hair was loose around her shoulders.

She knelt by Thor's tomb, gazing away from the cold, marble, ship-shaped monolith which housed the ashes of the great King, so unfitting a bed for the warmth and the force of the nature that had been Thor Odinson. Her eyes fell on little Princess Hela, and her chest tightened.

How she wished there had been a child before he had left her! She had never felt truly maternal in her life, before then, but looking at Princess Hela, and Prince Thor and Prince Erik, and the Ladies Eir, Kára and Mist…she felt that urge then all too keenly.

Her eyes returned to the marble lid, and the flame which burned eternally in a small alcove. Below the alcove rested Mjolnir, enchanted by Odin himself before he slipped back into Odinsleep, to never serve another but the true owner of the Hammer of Thor.

There were no more tears left to weep now, for Sif, and she stood with a sigh, the skirts of her dress rustling. Suddenly she felt a tugging, and looked down to see Loki and Jane's eldest son, Thor, standing before her in his royal tunic and breeches, a delicate flower in his hand.

"For you, Aunt Sif," he explained, holding it out. "You look sad."

Sif looked down on the Prince, and tried to smile. He was more considerate and openly loving than his namesake had been, less proud and self-absorbed. He would make a fine King, one day.

"Thank you, Thor," she murmured, bending down to take it from him gently. He only came up to her hips, but it would not be long before he would start growing in earnest. The blood of the Aesir ran too strongly in his veins for it to be otherwise.

Thor's eyes fell to his Uncle and namesake's tomb, and he placed a hand on its surface.

"It will be alright, one day, Aunt Sif," he told her earnestly. "You'll see."

Sif marvelled at the childlike trust and certainty in those light tones. She wished she still had it.

"I hope so," she breathed, as the child smiled and rushed back to join his siblings and friends in play, innocence shrouding him like a cloak. Sif's eyes lingered on the flower Thor had given her, and then drifted sideways to his namesake's tomb.

And froze.

Mjolnir, the great Hammer which had lain dead and unresponsive since Thor's death eleven years before, now seemed to shake with the power surging through it, electrical currents rushing over Sif's skin even stood as she was, a few feet away. Her eyes widened, and she turned to look after the little Prince who had touched the Hammer unknowingly, and even now skipped away, ignorant of what had occurred.

Mjolnir had reawakened. Its true owner had come.

And for the first time in eleven years, Sif truly smiled.

**_Finis_**

* * *

**A/N: Ok, I went there with the cheesy names, but I couldn't resist. **

**One final thing: Fandral and Darcy's unborn child was indeed a son, who they named Finn. Of course, the twin boys Jane carries are Fenrir and Jorgmundr, but she also has one last child, a daughter named Jaina.**

**She really shouldn't have let Loki pick their kids' names...;P**

**I will return, with more Lokane in the form of 'Lost Before The Dawn', a oneshot which will soon be turned into a multi-chapter when the Avengers come out on DVD in September, its sequel 'Veritas', and 'Nor No Man Ever Loved', which will be a complete AU based off of Shakespeare's Cymbeline. I will be writing Loki-centric fic for the foreseeable future, methinks ;P Loki, my King, thou are a cruel but loving master...**

**Thank you for all your support and lovely reviews over the course of writing this story :D**


	35. Author's Note: Oneshot

**Author's Note:**

I've posted an oneshot story in the same 'verse as At The Beginning. It's Lokane, and features the kids as well. It is M rated, and for a reason, just to warn you ;).


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